Alphabet
by Piper Elizabeth
Summary: A series of unconnected one-shots – one for each letter of the alphabet. Some will be long, some will be short. Some will be inside the dome and some will be outside of the dome. Some will take place during particular episodes and some will be random. They will all be centered around Julia/Barbie.
1. Chapter 1

**Title:** Alphabet

**Rating:** T for some language and normal adult behavior

**Disclaimer:** Under the Dome and its affiliated characters do not belong to me. I mean no copyright infringement. I only use them as a means to de-stress myself.

**Summary:** A series of unconnected one-shots – one for each letter of the alphabet. Some will be long, some will be short. Some will be inside the dome and some will be outside of the dome. Some will take place during particular episodes and some will be random. They will all be centered around Julia/Barbie.

**Spoilers: **I tried to stay away from very specific things, but I suggest you watch the series for these one-shots to make sense.

**Chapter 1 - Amnesia**

(Inside the Dome)

Barbie was walking down the street towards home, his hands in his pockets. There was a chill in the air. It always started getting cooler in the dome when the sun went down. After a long day of helping Linda patrol the streets, all he wanted to do was go home, take a shower, and fall asleep with Julia in his arms. As he turned the corner onto her street, he heard Linda's voice through the radio at his hip.

"Barbie, it's Linda. You there?"

Barbie unclipped the radio and brought it towards his lips.

"Yeah, I'm here," he responded. "What's up?"

"It's Julia," Linda said.

Barbie stopped dead in his tracks. Fear overcame him.

"What? What's wrong? Is she ok?"

"She was...hit in the head."

"Where is she?" Barbie asked.

"I'm with her at the clinic."

"I'll be right there."

Barbie broke into a run, heading towards the clinic. It was more than a mile away, but he made it to the clinic doors in less than ten minutes. Out of breath, he burst through the front doors. The clinic was mostly deserted.

"Where is she?" He yelled to no one in particular. "Julia!"  
Linda popped out from one of the exam rooms. "In here."

Barbie raced over to where she was standing and ran into the room. Julia was lying on a gurney, her eyes closed. Barbie could see a gauze pad covering a wound on her head, blood running from the wound and down her cheek. He was immediately at her side, watching her chest rise and fall. He breathed a sigh of relief. She was alive.

"What happened?" He asked.

"She was trying to help old man Withers clean out his closet. He kept ranting about how he had food that would keep the town from starving and Julia agreed to help him clear out some things to try to find it. They moved so much stuff, things started to collapse on them. Julia got hit with a ceiling tile."

"Is she going to be ok?"

"I think so. Ashley went to get some more bandages from the supply room."

"Ashley?"

"She's one of the only nurses we've got left. I'll go see if she needs any help."

Linda left the room. Barbie took Julia's hand and brushed a piece of hair away from her face. He grabbed a nearby chair and sat down beside her. He carefully peeled away the gauze from her head, inspecting the wound. It didn't look too deep, for which he was grateful.

"You're gonna be ok," he said to her. "Just stay with me." He watched her eyelids begin to flutter. A slight groan escaped her lips. "Julia? Open your eyes, baby. Come on."

Her eyes finally opened. She looked around the room, before eventually focusing on him. He squeezed her hand and planted a small kiss on each of her knuckles. He immediately felt her trying to resist. She tried pulling her hand away.

"Who...what's going on?" She asked. "Who are you?"

Julia attempted to sit up, but immediately felt light headed and gasped from the pain. He let go of her hand.

"Take it easy," he said, putting his hand on her shoulder. She tried to move away from him, brushing his hand off her shoulder. Barbie couldn't understand what was happening. "Julia…"

"Who are you?" She asked. He could hear the fear in her voice. She was genuinely afraid of him. He took a step back, giving her space.

"Julia, it's me. Barbie."

"I don't...I don't know you. Where's Peter? Where's my husband?"

Barbie didn't know how to answer. How could he tell her that her husband was dead and that he was the one who had killed him? That they had discovered that Peter wanted to die because he was so badly in debt? Or that he and Julia had practically been together since the dome came down? How could he even explain what the dome was?

Before Barbie could speak, Linda reappeared with the Ashley the nurse. The young woman looked like she was straight out of nursing school. Linda could see the confused look on Julia's face.

"Julia, you ok?" Linda asked.

"What's going on?" She asked. "Where's Peter? He should be here. I don't understand." Her eyes frantically flitted between Barbie and Linda.

"She doesn't remember anything," Barbie said.

"What?" Linda asked.

"What happened? How did I get here? Where are all the doctors?" Julia continued to question.

"Amnesia? Is that possible?" Linda asked Ashley.

"I don't know. I'm just a nurse!" Ashley exclaimed.

"Would someone please tell me what's going on?" Julia questioned. She reached up to the wound on her head and gasped as her hand made contact with the injury. Barbie went to reach for her hand, but she pulled it away before he could touch her. Ashley began working on cleaning and covering Julia's wound.

"You were hurt," Linda explained. "Hit in the head. I think...I think you've forgotten the last few weeks. What's the last thing you remember?"

Julia closed her eyes, trying to remember. "I was working on a story. Something for the newspaper. I was supposed to meet Peter for dinner, but he didn't show. He said he was working late. I don't...I don't remember anything after that."

"You don't remember Barbie?" Linda asked.

Julia looked at Barbie. She studied him quizzically.

"No. Who are you?"

Barbie gave Linda a quick glance. He felt his heart sinking. The one person he had connected with under the dome didn't know him anymore.

"Julia, a lot has happened that you don't remember," Linda explained. "I don't even know where to begin."

"Where's Peter?" Julia asked again.

"He's gone, Julia," Linda answered.

"What do you mean gone?"

"We don't know," Linda said truthfully. Barbie looked down at the floor. He couldn't look Linda in the eyes. "We think he left before the dome came down."

"Dome? What dome? What are you talking about?"

Ashley finished bandaging Julia's head wound. "You don't need stitches," Ashley said. She looked at Barbie. "You'll want to keep an eye on her for the next twenty-four hours. She should be all set to go home, though. Sorry, but I have other patients I need to check on."

She hastily walked out of the room. Barbie sensed she wasn't leaving so quickly just because she had other patients to check in. He could see discomfort on her face. He just wasn't sure why she was so uncomfortable.

"I don't understand," Julia said. Tears began to form in her eyes. Barbie knew Julia was strong, but he could only imagine how confused she must be.

"Why don't you try to explain things to her?" Barbie suggested. He didn't want to leave her, but he also knew she wasn't comfortable with him there. "I'm going to see if Ashley needs any help."

Barbie gave Julia one final look before leaving the room. He found Ashley sitting behind the reception desk, filing her nails. She clearly didn't have any other patients to look in on.

"Sucks that she can't remember anything," Ashley said.

"Yeah. Anything you can think of to do to help with her amnesia?"

"I told you, I'm just a nurse."

"Right. You sure ran out of there in a hurry."

"I'd never met Mrs. Shumway, but…" she trailed off.

"But what?"

"I did know her husband. I knew him well. Like, really well."

Barbie finally realized why she was so uncomfortable in Julia's room and why she practically ran away when she was done treating Julia's wound.

"You were having an affair with him."

"It wasn't just an affair. He loves me," she said. "He was going to leave her for me."

Barbie didn't know quite how to respond. If he hadn't already killed him, Barbie wished he could do it again. Any man who stepped out on Julia was a fool.

"Stay away from her," he said.

"Gladly."

As he walked back towards the exam room, Linda came out.

"How is she?" Barbie asked.

"Confused. I told her about the dome. I don't think she believed me at first, but after I explained everything, I don't think she had a choice but to believe me."

"Think her memory will come back?"

"I don't know. I hope so."

Barbie caught movement out of the corner of his eye. He looked and saw Julia walking towards them.

"Woah, Julia. You gotta take it easy," he said, rushing into the room to help her. He stopped moving towards her when he saw her back away from him.

"I want to go home," she stated.

"Her Prius is right outside. That's how we got her here," Linda said.

"Alright, I'll take you home," Barbie offered.

"I don't even know who you are," Julia replied.

"That's Barbie, Julia," Linda explained.

"What kind of name is Barbie?" Julia wondered.

Barbie couldn't help but smile. "It's a nickname," he told her. "Long story. I told you to once."

"I don't remember," she replied.

"Barbie's your...friend," Linda explained. "He's going to help you. He's been...staying with you at your house."

"You have?" Julia asked.

"Yeah," Barbie answered. "You took me in when I had nowhere else to go."

Julia smiled. "That sounds like something I would do."

"He's a good man, Julia," Linda assured her. "Trust him."

She nodded. "Ok."

Barbie had to stop himself from reaching out his hand for her. He let her walk by, towards the exit.

"You two going to be ok?" Linda asked.

"Yeah. I"ll keep an eye on her."

"Call me if you need me," Linda said.

"I will. Thanks," Barbie replied.

Barbie made is way outside. Julia was already at her car, standing at the driver's side door.

"Where are my keys?" She asked.

"I'm driving."

"It's my car," she stated.

Barbie almost smiled. It was like Julia's usual stubborn self back. But he knew it had nothing to do with that. She didn't trust him.

"You have a head wound. I'm driving."

Barbie opened the passenger side door and waited for her to walk around the car. She finally did with a loud sigh. As soon as she was safely in the car, Barbie walked around to the other side and got in. He could feel her staring at him as he started the car and drove away. She was clearly trying to decide if he was someone she should trust.

"So, you've been...staying with me?" Julia asked.

"Yeah."

"Since the...dome came down?"

"Pretty much."  
"It seems so...unreal. I mean, how does something like this happen?"

"That's what we're trying to figure out."  
Barbie pulled up in front of her house. She looked out her car window, staring at the dome. Barbie knew she was going through what they had all gone through when the dome first fell. She was most likely full of confusion, disbelief, and a little bit of awe.

"You get used to it," he assured her.

He got out of the car, opened her door, and led her into the house. She stepped inside and looked around.

"He's really gone," she said. "Peter. He's gone."

"I'm sorry."

"I'm not surprised," she murmured.

"What?"

"He probably ran away with some younger woman somewhere. He was always more interested in them than me anyway." She paused. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't bring you into the problems in my marriage. I don't even know you. I'm going to go lay down."

"You do know me," he whispered to himself as Julia headed up the stairs. He watched from the bottom of the stairs as she entered the bedroom they had been sharing. After a moment, she reappeared at the top of the stairs.

"We're not just friends, are we?" She asked.

Barbie knew she must have seen his T-Shirt on the bed. She had taken to sleeping in for the past few nights. She had said it was more comfortable than her own pajamas.

"No," he answered honestly. "We're not."

"I wish I remembered that part," she said with a smile.

"Yeah, me too."

She disappeared down the hall, making her way back to their bedroom. Barbie saw it as a good sign that she didn't shut the door. He settled on the living room couch, knowing it was going to be a long night.

Hours later, Barbie woke up when he heard footsteps on the stairs. He had checked on Julia several times since she had gone up to her bedroom. He wanted to make sure she was still breathing. When he heard her on the stairs, he opened his eyes and saw her walking towards the front door.

"Julia?" He called out.

"It's raining," she said. Barbie listened, hearing the rain splatter against the window panes. "We need to collect the water."

"What?"

"So we don't run out of water to drink. We need to collect the water like last time."

"You remember when it rained last time?"

"I...I remember everyone was happy that it had rained."  
"Yeah, we were all happy."

"Why can I remember that but I can't remember you?"

"I don't know."

"We should go collect the water."

"We don't have to go out there. We already set up a system to collect the water in buckets out back."

"Oh."

"How's your head feeling?"

"Better."

Barbie couldn't help but notice that she was staring out at the rain. She walked to the front door and opened it.

"Julia, what are you…"  
"There's something about the rain."

She walked out the door and into the downpour.

"Julia!"

Barbie raced out after her. She was standing in the pouring rain, looking up at the sky. Barbie walked right up next to her. She slid her hand into his.

"I remember," she whispered. She turned her body so she was facing him. "Our first kiss was in the rain."

"Yeah."

"It was incredible."

"Yeah," he breathed.

He leaned in closer to her until their lips were only centimeters apart. He waited for her to pull away, but she didn't. He kissed her, slowly at first. He didn't want to scare her away. It was Julia who looped her arms around his neck first. He wrapped his arms around her waist.

"I remember everything," she said when they parted.

He pressed his forehead against hers.

"That's good."

"It's all coming back to me. The dome, you, Peter leaving…everything."

"Glad to have you back."

"If I remember, our first night together was pretty incredible, too."

"Yeah."

"Care to refresh my memory?"

"Hell yeah."

He smiled before capturing her lips with his own.

Author's Note: Thank you for reading! I've never tried anything like this before, but I thought I'd give it a shot. This was probably one of the longer chapters. Once I got started, I just couldn't stop. Please don't forget to review!


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2 - Bikini**

Julia stood in the kitchen, opening a can of green beans with a handheld can opener. As the blade cut through the metal, it sprang back, cutting her thumb. She cursed under her breath and looked at her thumb. It wasn't a very deep cut, but it still throbbed. She grabbed a nearby kitchen towel and placed pressure on the cut. After a minute, she unwrapped the towel and looked at her thumb. It was still bleeding, but not as much as it was before. She walked over to the sink and ran the water. She placed her finger underneath, cursing again as the stream of water made contact with the open wound. She watched blood drip down the sink. As she reached for the towel again, she heard the front door open.

"Hey, I'm home," Barbie called out.

"In the kitchen," she responded.

Her back was to him as he entered the kitchen. She turned around, holding the towel against her thumb.

"What happened?" He asked, rushing towards her.

"The can opener picked a fight with me again."

Barbie couldn't help but smile. It wasn't the first time she had tried to use the can opener and it hadn't ended well. He looked at the half opened can of beans on the counter.

"When are you going to learn to let me open the cans?" He asked.

"I don't need a man to open cans for me."

"Tell that to your thumb."

Barbie picked up the can opener and finished opening the can with precision.

"Show off," she teased.

He put the can down and walked over to where she was standing. He took the towel away from her thumb to look at her cut.

"Might have to amputate," he joked.

"Ha ha. This wouldn't have happened if I could use the electric can opener."

"Gotta save all the propane we can. That means not running the electricity when it's not necessary."

She sighed. "I know."

He kissed her on the top of the head. "Things will get back to normal some day."

"When?"

"When we get out of here. Then you'll never have to use a non-electric can opener again."

"Promise?"

"Promise. Besides, when we get out of here, I'm gonna take you somewhere where the last thing you're going to worry about is can openers."

"Oh really?"

"Mhmm.

"And where do you plan on taking me?" She asked, her interest definitely piqued. They hadn't spoken much about what they would do outside of the dome. Aside from talking about what foods they'd eat first or how many coffees Julia planned on drinking, they stayed away from talking about life outside of the dome.

"Somewhere tropical where we get waited on hand and foot."

"Tropical, huh? I didn't know you liked the beach."

"I don't care one way or the other about the beach."

"Then why do you want to go somewhere tropical?"

"To see you in a bikini."

Her jaw dropped. "And what makes you think I would strut around in a bikini? Just so I can let men objectify me?"

"Fine, we'll go to a private island where it's just the two of us. Then I'll be the only one to objectify you."

"Very funny. Besides that, I have fair skin, you know. I burn easily."

"Don't worry. I'll apply a lot of sunscreen everywhere. And I do mean everywhere."

She couldn't help but laugh.

"You're such a man."

"Damn right. But this man is going to finish making dinner while you go find a bandage to fix that up."

"How did I get so lucky?"

She kissed him on the cheek before heading upstairs to the bathroom to find the first aid kid. She pulled the first aid kit out from other the sink, placed it on the bathroom sink, opened it, and grimaced. Their medical supplies were getting awfully low. It wouldn't be long before they completely ran out of supplies. Julia picked out a bandage and wrapped her finger. It had mostly stopped bleeding, but she knew it was important to keep it clean. After she returned the first aid kid, she made her way into the bedroom. With a smile, she opened one of the bureau drawers. She had to dig to the bottom to find what she was looking for.

Downstairs, Barbie had poured the green beans into a pot of water and they were beginning to boil on the gas stove. He had a pot of pasta boiling next to it. He dipped a wooden spoon into the pot of pasta. He scooped one out, blew on it to cool it, and then tasted it. It was perfect. He turned the gas off underneath both the green beans and the pasta. As he was about to lift the pot of pasta to pour it into the colander in the sink, he heard Julia coming down the stairs.

"Is this what you had in mind?" She asked.

Barbie turned around. She was standing in the doorway of the kitchen wearing a black bikini and a pair of black, strappy high heels. Her hands were on her hips, her hair flowing freely, framing her face. She had a glimmer of mischief in her eye. Barbie dropped the spoon he was holding. It clattered against the tile floor. The bikini itself was nothing fancy. It was just a simple, black two-piece that walked that fine line between modesty and sexy. It looked absolutely perfect on her.

"Damn." He was speechless.

She smiled, loving that she could make him react that way. He was staring at her like she was a piece of meat and he was a wild dog and she loved it.

"I think you're drooling," she commented with a smile.

He strode towards her, unable to keep his eyes off of her. He stopped just in front of her, taking her in like a tall drink of water. He looked at every piece of exposed skin, wanting to get his hands on every piece of her.

"How come I've never seen this before?" He asked.

"You never asked."

He had his mouth, hot on hers in an instant, his hands immediately reaching for the exposed skin of her back. She kissed him back with fervor, running her hands through his hair. He began walking with her, pushing her body with his until her back hit the wall. He attached his lips to her neck, sending pleasant shockwaves through her body. She moaned.

"You're so damn sexy," he murmured into her ear.

"Who needs a tropical location?"

"You can say that again."

He roamed her body with his hands, finally bringing them to rest on her butt. He hoisted her up and she wrapped her legs around his waist.

"What about dinner?" She asked.

"It can wait."

He carried her out of the kitchen, up the stairs, and towards the bedroom. As he lowered her onto the bed, all he could think about was that bikini.

Author's Note: This was the chapter that inspired this entire endeavor. I really wanted to write something about Barbie wanting to see Julia in a bikini. I just couldn't figure out how to fit it into a story so that's when I decided to do the alphabet. I hope you liked it! 24 more letters to go!


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3 – Couch**

**(Outside the Dome)**

"No."

"Why not?"

"Because it's hideous!" Julia exclaimed, throwing her hands up in frustration. She grabbed a box from the back of the moving truck and headed towards the house. She bypassed the "Sold" sign on the front lawn.

"You said I could bring in some of my things," Barbie replied, following her into the house.

"Don't come in empty handed when we have an entire truck to empty," she warned.

Barbie trudged back to the truck, grabbed a box, and followed her into the house. She had just placed her box on the ground in what would be their dining room when he found her.

"It's just a couch," he said.

"If it's just a couch then it won't matter if we have it in our house or not."

The couch they were arguing over happened to be sitting in the flatbed of Barbie's truck. It was a couch he had in his apartment since he had gotten out of the military years earlier. He had a lot of memories with that couch. The trouble was, it wasn't exactly in the best condition and Julia did not want it in their new house.

"It's my favorite couch," Barbie argued.

"That's because it's the only couch you've ever owned. It's not coming in this house, Barbie."

Julia walked back outside, rolling her sleeves up. They had been working on moving all morning. It surprised her just how many things they had acquired in the year that they had been out of the dome. They hadn't taken anything with them once the dome had come down. They left Julia's house at Chester's Mill with nothing and they never looked back. In that year, they had been living in an apartment, trying to get their lives back together. It wasn't until they had bought the house and started packing their things that Barbie mentioned he had a storage unit with some of his belongings in it. Julia had agreed that he could bring in some of his things. She had not agreed to have an old, beat-up couch in their new house.

"Come on, Julia," he begged. He followed her back out to the truck. She reached for a box, but decided to bypass it. Instead, she went for a laundry basket full of pillows and bedding.

"We are supposed to be starting a life together," she said. "Fresh. New."

"I know. It's just...I have good memories on that couch."

Julia rolled her eyes. "I really don't want to know about all of the women you slept with on that couch."

"Would you change your mind if I told you you're going to be the only woman I will ever sleep with again on that couch?"

"No."

She grabbed the laundry basket and headed towards the house.

"Please?" He pleaded.

She turned around to face him. She could see the couch sitting in the flatbed of his truck behind him.

"It's falling apart, Barbie! The stuffing is falling out. It's dirty and we have nowhere to put it!"

"I'll put it somewhere you don't really have to look at it. I'll put it in the spare room."

She sighed. "You can't put it in the spare room."

"Why not? We said we were going to use it for storage anyway."

"It's not going to just be for storage in another nine months."

He furrowed his brow. "What do you mean?" She smiled. His jaw dropped and his eyes grew wide. "Wait…nine months? What…are you...are you pregnant?"

She nodded. "Yes."

"We're going to have a baby?"

"Yes."

"I'm gonna be a dad?"

"Yes."

His smile grew from ear to ear. He cupped her face in his hand and kissed her hard.

"You shouldn't be carrying that!" He exclaimed. He immediately grabbed the laundry basket from her hands and threw it to the side. He put one hand on her right hip and the other he put on her flat stomach.

"I'm fine," she assured him.

"You shouldn't have been moving anything."

"Barbie, I'm fine. I made sure I didn't carry anything heavy."

"When did you find out?"

"I was suspicious for a few days, but I took the test last night."  
"Why didn't you tell me?"

"Because I wanted to wait for the right time. I wanted us to be together in this house. I know we haven't really...talked about kids much and I know it's not really the right time with the new house and all, but...are you happy?"

"Happy? Julia, I couldn't be happier. I'm beyond happy. We're going to have a baby. I love you."

"I love you too. As long as that couch doesn't come into our house."

He laughed. "Deal."

He leaned in to kiss her, sealing their future together.

Author's Note: Thank you for the great reviews. I have a word/idea for every letter so far except for R. Any ideas or suggestions?


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4 - Dark**

Julia was laying on the couch in her living room, a book open in her lap. It was a romance novel, complete with a bare-chested, long-haired man on the cover. It wasn't the type of thing Julia usually read, but she had borrowed it from her neighbor Harriet. A few days earlier, she and Harriet had traded reading material. With no TV or electronics, they had both gotten tired of reading the same thing over and over again. Trading seemed like the best option. As Julia read, she sipped a glass of red wine. She couldn't believe just how involved in the cheesy story she had become.

Just as the main character ran into the muscular arms of the shirtless man from the cover, she heard Barbie coming down the stairs. He was wearing a simple white T-shirt and his boxers. His hair was still wet from the shower. Maybe it was because of the romance novel she was reading, but Julia thought he looked incredibly sexy.

"Reading anything good?" Barbie asked, eying her romance novel with a smile. He sat down on the couch by her feet. She picked up her feet and placed them on his lap. He began to massage her bare feet.

"Don't judge," she said.

"I'm not judging."

"It's just something to read," she explained.

"Ok."

"I mean, it's like I normally pick up romance novels with Fabio on the cover."

"You're the one who's being defensive. So, have they done the whole slow motion running towards each other on the beach thing?"

"I thought you weren't judging."

"I'm not," he teased."

She opened the book and began reading out loud. "Javier ripped open his shirt…"

"His name is Javier? Really?"

"Do you want to hear this or not?"

"Not really," he joked.

"It's either this or US Weekly where we can read the newest Kardashian drama. And by newest I mean whatever happened to them three weeks ago."

"Bring on Javier."

Julia smiled. "Javier ripped open his shirt, buttons flying in all directions. His chest was gleaming with sweat. Her eyes widened at the sight of his glorious skin."

"Women actually read things like this?"

"Just wait, there's more," she said. "Fiona ran her hands up and down his chiseled chest. He wrapped his strong arms around her small, feminine body." Julia couldn't continue reading without giggling. "He dipped her head closer to hers, his lips just…"

Julia was cut off as the small lamp beside her turned off. Without the light, the room was bathed in complete darkness. They could barely see each other.

"We must have run out of propane," Barbie said.

"We'll have to see if we can get more tomorrow."

"Now we'll never know Javier did with his lips!" Barbie exclaimed, dramatically.

"Well, we can make up our own ending."

"I like the way you think."

"I thought you might."

He grabbed her by the hips and pulled her down the couch towards him. She shrieked. He crawled on top of her, kissing her.

"We should run out of propane more often," he murmured as his lips began to pay close attention to her neck.

"Agreed. I'm beginning to like the dark."

"Oh trust me, you're going to like it a whole lot more."

He showed her just how much she was going to like it with his lips.

Author's Note: I know this chapter was short, but it was super fun to write. I just wish there were more moments like this in the show! Thank you for all of the "R" suggestions. I think I figured out what it's going to be!


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5 – Elevator**

(Out of the Dome)

Note: This is my idea of how Julia and Barbie might have met in the "real world." Dome not included.

Barbie stood in front of the elevator, staring at the digital numbers above the elevator doors as they counted down towards the lobby. All he wanted to do was get to his hotel room, pack his belongings, and get home. He didn't want to spend one more minute in the city. Finally, the elevator dinged and the doors opened. Barbie was about to step in when he saw a red-headed woman standing towards the back of the elevator.

"Crap," she muttered. She was digging through her purse, clearly searching for something. Barbie quickly looked her up and down. He couldn't see her face well, but he did get a good look at the rest of her. She was tall, made taller by the black stilettos she was wearing. She had on a short, black dress, showing off her shapely legs. She was partially bent over, the angle giving Barbie a good look at her cleavage. But it was her hair that really got to him. Long, red, wavy hair that just longed to be touched.

"Everything alright?" Barbie asked, his voice coming out a little huskier and lower than he meant it to.

She looked up at him. Her face matched her body. She was beautiful.

"Sorry," she said, realizing she was holding up the elevator. "I can't find my phone. I guess I have to go back up to my room."

"Mind if I join you?" Barbie realized how bad that sounded as soon as he said it. "I mean, in the elevator. Not in your room. Although I'm sure your room is lovely."

She laughed. "You're welcome to join me. In the elevator, that is."

Barbie stepped into the elevator. "What floor?" He asked.

"Twelve," Julia answered.

"Me too."

"Must be fate," Julia commented.

Barbie hit the number twelve and waited. He was standing slightly in front of her so he couldn't see her, but he could smell her perfume. It was intoxicating. He had already checked her ring finger. She wasn't married or engaged, which was a positive thing. That didn't mean, however, that she didn't have a boyfriend. With the odds being that he would never see her again, he decided to use one of the cheesiest lines he could come up with to see if she was seeing someone.

"So, you...ah...meeting up with your boyfriend tonight?" Barbie asked.

"Tell me, does that line work for you?" She asked with a slight giggle in her voice.  
"Sometimes," he answered truthfully.

She laughed. It was an amazing laugh.

"I'm not meeting with my boyfriend," she stated.

"Good," he said with a smile on his face. He turned around to face her. He caught a sparkle in her eye. "I'm Barbie."

"Barbie, huh?" She asked, raising an eyebrow.

"It's a nickname."

"I'm sure that's a good story."

"Maybe I'll get to tell it to you someday."

"Maybe. I'm Julia."

"Well, Julia, it's very…"

Barbie was cut off when the elevator jerked and stopped completely. Julia stumbled forward. Barbie caught her arm, steadying her. He felt electricity course through his body as his skin touched hers.

"You ok?" He asked.

"Yes. Thank you." They both looked around. "Could I…ah…have my arm back?"

Barbie looked down, realizing he hadn't let her go. He liked feeling her skin against his way too much.

"Sorry," he mumbled, letting her go.

"What happened?" She asked.

"I don't know."

Barbie looked up at the panel above the doors. The number was set on six. He hit the number twelve button again, but nothing happened. He hit a different number, but nothing happened again. He tried the 'door open' and even the 'door close' button, but it was as if the panel wasn't working at all.

"Are we stuck?" Julia asked.

"I think so."

Barbie finally pressed the emergency button. An alarm began to sound. After a minute, the alarm stopped and a voice came through the speaker in the panel.

"This is security," a male voice said. "Is there a problem?"

"Yeah, we think the elevator's stuck," Barbie answered.

"Standby. We'll try to manually restart it," the voice said. Both Barbie and Julia waited, but nothing happened. "The manual restart didn't work, sir. We'll have to call in a repairman. Sit tight, sir."

"Yeah, thanks," Barbie said, rolling his eyes. He turned to Julia. "Looks like we're stuck here for a while. You're not claustrophobic, are you?"

"No, but I guess this is a bad time to mention I have to pee."

"Didn't your mother ever tell you to use the bathroom before you left the house?" He asked.

"Ha ha," she replied.

"I could be a gentleman and turn around."

"I think I'll hold it. Thanks, though."

"Anytime." He paused. "I guess we should make ourselves comfortable."

Barbie sat down, leaning against one of the walls. Julia stood for another minute. She wasn't quite sure how she would be able to gracefully sit in the dress she was wearing. Then again, standing in her heels wasn't very appealing either. She finally slid down the wall, bending her knees as she got closer to the floor. She kept her knees pressed together as she sat partially on her hip, trying to stay both ladylike and appropriate. She and Barbie were on opposite walls, facing each other.

"How do you feel about twenty questions?" Julia asked.

"I don't think I've played since I was a kid on a long car ride with my parents," he answered.

"Well, I think it's time you played again."

"You really want to play twenty questions?" He questioned, wondering if she was serious.

"Do you have something else in mind we could do?"

"I could think of something," he said suggestively.

She pointed up to the corner of the elevator. "These elevators have cameras."

"Doesn't bother me."

"How about we get to know each other first? We each get twenty questions and we take turns asking them."

"Fair enough."

"Ok. Question one...where are you from?"

"A small town called Zenith," he answered. "My turn. What do you do for a living?"

"I'm a journalist. How many brothers and sisters do you have?"

"Only child," he answered. "Dogs or cats?"

"Dogs," she answered quickly. "Hands down. Cats are so…unfriendly."

"Agreed," he said.

"What's your favorite color?"

"Blue."

"Such a man color," she commented.

"Is that a bad thing?"

"No. Just typical. By the way, that counts as one of your questions."

"It does not!"

"You asked a question, I answered. My turn. What's your relationship like with your mother?"

"She passed away a few years ago."

"Oh, I'm sorry."

"It's ok. She was an amazing woman. I loved her very much. We were close growing up. I'm a little ashamed to admit that we drifted apart in my teenage years, but I'm happy to say we were closer before she passed."

"That sounds nice."

"My turn," he said. "Where'd you go to college?"

"Boston University. How about you?"

"Never went to college," he admitted. "Went into the military instead."

"Well, thank you for your service."

"You're welcome. What's your favorite flower?"

"Lilacs."

"I'll keep that in mind," he said. He was enjoying their flirty conversation. He couldn't remember the last time he had been so interested in a woman.

She couldn't help but smile. "What are you doing here in the city?"

"I'm here for work."

"And what do you do for work?" She questioned.  
"Uh-uh. My turn. What are _you_ doing here in the city?"

"Getting over my divorce," she answered.

Barbie was taken aback by her honesty.

"Oh."

"I'm not here for one night stands or anything like that," she quickly said.

"It's ok, I'm not judging."

"I just don't want you to get the wrong impression. I've been divorced for over a year. My husband was a lying cheat. Too bad it took me almost three years to see that. After the divorce, I just...buried myself in work. My friends finally convinced me to take a vacation. A weekend away with the girls. Drinking, shopping, flirting with attractive men." She trailed off as if she had said too much. Barbie noticed she was looking down at the floor. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have...shared all that."

"It's ok," he assured her. He saw a tear roll down her cheek. She tried to brush it away, but he saw it anyway. "Your husband must have been idiot to let you go."

She smiled. "Thank you, but you don't even know me."

"I know you're beautiful and you like dogs. That's all I need to know."

He saw a blush spread across her cheeks.

"I think it's my turn," she said. "What's your favorite pizza topping?"

"Pepperoni."

"Simple guy, huh?"

"I guess. And that counts as a question."

"What? It does not!"

"It counted for me not too long ago. What's your favorite kind of food?"

"Burgers. I'm not the kind of girl who eats two bites of a salad and then pretends she's not hungry."

"Good. I never liked those kinds of women anyway," he said with a smirk.

"Describe your ideal woman."

"That's not a question," he countered.

"Ok, fine. What's your idea of the perfect woman?"

"Hmm…let me see," he began, choosing his words carefully. "She has to be intelligent and have a sense of humor. She definitely has to be a dog person and know how to eat. You know, not just pick at salads." She smiled. "Tall and beautiful doesn't hurt. Oh, and a redhead. She definitely has to be a redhead."

"You're a player, aren't you?" She said, smiling.

"That also counts as a question, you know. So I think it's my turn again."

"You're not playing fair," she replied.

"You started it."

"It only counts as a question if you answer it."

"No, I'm not a player. But when I'm stuck in an elevator with a beautiful, single woman dressed like that, I can't help myself. Now it is my turn. What's your ideal vacation?"

"Somewhere full of culture. Somewhere where I can learn about different people and see things I've never seen before. Somewhere where I can have an adventure."

He couldn't help but smile, realizing that her words would have been his exact answer. She seemed to be too good to be true.

"It's your turn," he said after a moment of silence.

She thought about what she was going to ask very carefully.

"Why do I feel like I've known you my entire life?" She finally asked.

"Sometimes you meet someone and you just know."

"You're too good to be true," she stated.

"Maybe," he replied. "Or, as you said before, maybe meeting being stuck here with you is fate."

"Or maybe we're both stuck here because an elevator broke down."

"Tomato, tomahto," he said.

He began to inch forward towards her. He took her hand and leaned in closer to her.

"I never do this," she whispered, his lips only inches from hers.

"What's that?"

"Kiss a handsome stranger in an elevator."

"There's a first time for everything."

"I guess so."

Just as his lips were about to meet hers, the elevator doors sprung open. Barbie and Julia both looked at the doors. There was a repairman standing in the hallway.

"We got the elevator working again," he said.

They both looked back at each other and closed the gap between them.

Author's Note: I LOVED writing the dialogue in this chapter. Originally it was only 2 pages long, but I just kept adding dialogue. I wanted to really think about what would happen if they had met outside of the dome. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed it!


	6. Chapter 6

Sorry for posting the wrong chapter previously! This is the right one!

**Chapter 6 - Forest**

"How do you know when you're in love?" Joe asked.

The question stopped Barbie in his tracks. He turned back to look at Joe who was trailing a few feet behind him. When they had started out that morning, checking the dome for any changes or abnormalities, Barbie sensed something was wrong with Joe. He wasn't his usual, chatty self. He wasn't spewing theories or talking about Hounds of Diana. As they walked through the forest, Barbie thought about asking him about it, but then decided against it. When Joe was ready, he would talk. Apparently he was suddenly ready.

"That's a tough question," Barbie answered truthfully. "Is that what's been bothering you all day?"

Joe shrugged. "I guess."

"You think you might be in love with Norrie?"

"Maybe," he mumbled. "Do you love Julia?"

Barbie let the question sink in. It wasn't the first time he had thought about it, but any time he had thought about it before, something had always come up and he never really had the chance to figure out if what was going on between them was real love.

"Let's focus on you," Barbie said, trying to steer the conversation away from him and Julia. He looked around and spotted a fallen tree a few yards away. He walked over to it and sat down.

"What are you doing?" Joe asked.

"Best place to talk about women is when there are no women around to hear you. Forest seems like as good a place as any. Make yourself comfortable. This could take a while." Joe walked over to the fallen tree and sat down. "What makes you think you're in love with Norrie?"

"I think about her all the time. And she's different from anyone I've ever known. She's pretty and smart and can be...crazy sometimes, but even then, I still want to be with her."

"Then I'd say you answered your own question. Sounds like love to me."

"Yeah, but how do you...know?"

Barbie smiled. "If she's the last person you think about before you fall asleep and the first person you think about when you wake up. If she's the one person you want to run to when you're happy or when you're sad. If you can't imagine your life without her." He paused. "Then you know it's love."

"I guess I'm in love then. I've never been in love before."

Barbie put his hand on Joe's shoulder. "It's a scary feeling."

"Yeah, it is. Should I tell her?"

"In my experience, women do tend to like hearing those words. So yeah, I'd tell her."

"Are you going to tell Julia that you love her?"

"We're not talking about me and Julia," Barbie said, standing up.

"But you do love her, right?"

"Joe…"

"Come on, we're having guy time, right? I mean, you guys spend a lot of together. You're living at her house. I see the way you look at her. She's pretty and smart. Why wouldn't you be in love with her?"

"Sometimes with adults, it's not that simple."

"Why? Because of her husband, Dr. Shumway? Look, I didn't know Julia too well back then, but I will tell you one thing. She never looked as happy with him as she looks with you."

"It's...complicated," Barbie said.

"Why?"

"Because it just is."

"I think you're just afraid."

Barbie chuckled. "Oh yeah? Afraid of what?"

"That what you're feeling for her is real. Maybe you don't want to get too close because we all know this dome is unpredictable and we don't know what's going to happen. Or maybe you're afraid she'll reject you, but by the way she looks back at you, I don't think that's a possibility."

"I thought I was supposed to be the one giving you advice," Barbie said.

"You did. Now it's my turn. Just face it, Barbie. You love her. And you should tell her."

Joe stood up and began walking away, his feet crunching against the fallen leaves on the forest floor. He began walking away, leaving Barbie standing by himself. He knew Joe was right. He was in love with Julia. She was the one person he thought about before he went to sleep and the first person he thought about when he woke up. She was the one he wanted to share his ups and downs with. She was the only woman he could see himself with for the rest of his life. He had been in love with her from the beginning. The only thing left to do was to tell her.

Author's Note: I know this one was short and didn't actually include Barbie and Julia, but I really like the relationship between Joe and Barbie. Hope you enjoyed it!


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7 – Girlfriend**

(Outside of the dome)

Julia sat at the high-top table, her legs dangling from the stool. She looked around the bar, waiting for Barbie to return with their drinks. It was just past nine o'clock on a Saturday night and the bar was beginning to get crowded. It was the first night Julia was going to meet some of Barbie's army buddies. She couldn't help but be a little nervous. She wanted them to like her. They had managed to escape the dome only weeks earlier. It had been difficult adjusting to normal life after the dome had come down, but she and Barbie were determined to make a life together.

"Hi," a voice said to Julia's right. She turned and saw a good-looking man, probably in his early thirties, standing beside her table.

"Hello," she replied.

"Can I buy you a drink?" He asked.

"No, thank you."

"Oh, come on."

"I'm flattered, but I'm going to have to pass."

"I'm beautiful, you're beautiful. I think we could have a fun night. A night that could start with a drink," the man stated over-confidently.

Julia scoffed at him. She had never heard anyone give her quite such a proposition.

"She said she's not interested," Barbie stated, walking up behind Julia.

"Get lost, man, I saw her first," the man said.

Barbie put their beers down on the table before stepping right up to the stranger, putting his face in the man's face. He wanted to make sure he was very clear.

"Actually, I saw her first. She's here with me. If you have a problem with that, we can take this outside."

Julia put her hand on Barbie's arm. "Barbie..."

"Fine," the man said. "Your loss, sweetheart."

Barbie opened his mouth to speak, but Julia beat him to it. "I'm not your sweetheart."

The stranger finally walked away. Barbie slid onto his stool.

"What an asshole," he said.

"You can say that again," she replied, taking a sip of her beer.

"Can't blame him, though. You are hot," Barbie said with a smirk.

As Barbie picked up his own beer, he saw his friends coming into the bar out of the corner of his eye. He hopped off the stool and went over to meet them. After some loud hellos and quick hugs, Barbie led the three men over to the table. Julia got down off the stool to greet them.

"Guys, this is my…" he paused. He didn't know what to call her. In all their time in the dome, they hadn't exactly discussed what they were to each other. It hadn't really come up after the dome either.

"This is Julia," he finally finished. "Julia, these are the guys. Ray, Steve, and Isaac."

"Nice to meet you," Julia said, noticing Barbie's hesitation in introducing her.

"Damn, Barbie, you did good," Steve said, looking Julia up and down.

"Yeah, yeah, hand's off, fellas," Barbie responded with a smile.

He put his arm around Julia and they slid back on their stools. As Barbie's friends joined them around the table, Julia couldn't help but think about the one word he hadn't used - girlfriend.

"So, Julia, how do you put up with Barbie's incessant cockiness?" Ray asked.

"I am not cocky," Barbie insisted.

"Hell yes you are," Steve replied.

Barbie put his arm around Julia's shoulder. "What do you think, babe?"

"I think your friends know you better than you know yourself."

Barbie's friends laughed. Julia managed a smile, but wasn't quite in the laughing mood.

As soon as Barbie had the door to their apartment open, Julia made her way down the hallway and into their bedroom. Barbie shrugged off his jacket and threw it on the couch. He could tell something was bothering Julia. She had been pleasant and friendly with his friends, but towards him, she was cold and distant. He entered the bedroom. She was just changing into a more comfortable pair of sweatpants and a tank top. Barbie noticed that she wasn't changing into one of his T-Shirts as she normally did. He couldn't help but watch her as she changed, though. Even if she was angry with him for some reason, she was still beautiful.

"I think the guys really liked you," he said.

"Glad I could impress them," she replied. She grabbed her book off the bedside table. "I'm going to go read in the living room."

As she walked by Barbie, he grabbed her arm, stopping her.

"What's wrong?" He asked.

"Nothing, I'm fine."

"It's not nothing. Tell me what's wrong."

"I said it was nothing."

He wasn't about to let it go that quickly. "Was it my friends? Did one of them say something to you? I know they can be a little...rough around the edges, but they're good guys."

"It isn't about your friends."

"Then what?"

"What am I to you?"

"What?"

"What are we doing together, you and me?"

"I thought we were living our lives together."

"As what?"

Finally, it hit him. The reason she was giving him the cold shoulder all night at the bar.

"You're mad because I didn't introduce me as your girlfriend."

"You made it sound like we're having a casual fling. Like I'm no one...special." Barbie couldn't help but laugh. "It's not funny. If you think we're nothing special, maybe I should have just let that guy buy me a drink."

He immediately stopped smiling. "Julia, the only reason I didn't introduce you as my girlfriend is because we never talked about it."

"So...we lived together under the dome and then we immediately got an apartment together outside of the dome, but you didn't think that constituted as me being your girlfriend? What did you think we were then? Roommates with benefits?"

"That's not fair. Look, I don't care about labels. I know how I feel about you. I know how important you are to me. I don't need the label of girlfriend and boyfriend to prove that."

"Well maybe I do."

"Fine. Will you be my girlfriend?"

"Yes."

"Good," he said.

"Good."

She was looking at him sternly, but she finally cracked a smile. Barbie wrapped his arms around her, enveloping her in a hug.

"I love you," he whispered into her hair.

"I love you too."

"And for what it's worth, I've known from the minute we met that you'd be my girlfriend."

"Your friends were right. You are cocky."

"Damn right," he said, kissing her hard.

Author's Note: Not going to lie – I struggled a bit with this chapter. I hope you liked it, though!


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8 – Handcuffs**

**(Inside the Dome)**

Barbie trudged into the house, his body tired and weary. It had been a long day. With most of the cars out of gas, he had spent most of the day walking around the town dealing with small crises. He looked around quickly, but the house was dark. After looking at his watch and seeing what time it was, he guessed Julia was already in bed. He shrugged off his coat, hanging it up on a hook by the door before climbing the stairs. He made his way into their bedroom. His eyes fell on Julia's sleeping form on the bed. She was on her left side, facing the spot he usually slept in. Her right arm was wrapped around his pillow. He smiled. Barbie tiptoed towards the bed, leaned over, and kissed her lightly on the forehead.

"Hey," she mumbled.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you. Go back to sleep."

He stripped off his shirt, throwing it across the floor near the hamper. He reached for the gun he always kept tucked in the back of his pants and placed it on the small side table next to the bed. She rolled onto her back and pushed herself into a seated position.

"No, it's ok. I was waiting up for you, but I must have fallen asleep," she said sleepily. "Everything ok?"

"Yeah. Just got stuck helping Linda deal with a few minor incidents."

"I was getting worried," she admitted.

"Sorry. I wish I could have called to let you know I was ok."

"I'm just glad you're home."

"I'm gonna hop in the shower." He leaned over and captured her lips with his own. "Go back to sleep."

He unbuckled his belt and pulled off his pants, throwing them in the corner with his shirt. She heard a clang as the pants hit the wall. Julia watched as he walked into the bathroom. Seeing him half naked made sleeping the last thing on her mind. She scrambled out of bed and over to his discarded pair of Jeans. She fished through the pockets until she found what she was looking for. With a wicked smile on her face, she pulled out his pair of handcuffs. She quickly climbed back onto the bed, kneeling towards the edge so that she would be the first thing Barbie would see when he came out of the bathroom. After a few minutes, she heard the shower turn off. Another minute later, Barbie emerged from the bathroom, wearing a towel around his waist.

"I thought you were going back to sleep," he said, noticing the sly smile on her lips.

"I decided to do something else."

She pulled the handcuffs out from behind her back, showing them to him. His eyes lit up and he smiled.

"I like the way you think."

"I thought you might."

He reached for the handcuffs, but she pulled them away. She grabbed his wrist and snapped one of the handcuffs against his wrist. She attached the other end to the headboard.

"Woah, wait a minute," Barbie protested. "I thought those were for you."

"Nope."

Julia reached over and pulled his towel from his waist.

"You're going to be the death of me, woman."

"We have to have some fun stuck under this dome."

"No argument here."

He wrapped his free arm around her waist, pulling her towards him and then he kissed her like he had never kissed her before.

Author's Note: I know this one was short, but it was a lot of fun! Thank you to all of the readers who have been following this story!


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9 – Insecure**

**(Outside the dome)**

Julia stood in the middle of the aisle, staring at the contents on the shelves. She couldn't pick which package she wanted. There were just too many options. Luvs. Huggies. Pampers. Store brand. She had no idea which diaper brand she should buy. She put her hand on her swollen stomach, trying to calm the tiny life that lived inside of her. He or she was busy kicking her as if he or she was trying to kick his or her way out.

"Settle down, sweetheart," she said quietly, rubbing her stomach.

"Find what you were looking for?" Barbie asked as he came down the aisle towards her. He had a bottle of shampoo in one hand and a stick of deodorant in the other. He dropped them in the shopping cart near Julia.

"I don't know what brand to buy," Julia admitted. "They all say they're super absorbent and they claim to last overnight. How do you know what's best for the baby?"

"They're just diapers, Julia. He's going to pee and poop in them and then we're going to throw them away. I don't think it matters."

"Of course it matters. And stop calling it a he. We don't know it's a boy."

"Sounds better than calling it an it."

"What brand do you think we should get?" She asked.

Barbie picked a random package off the shelf. "This one looks fine."

"That's not even for newborns!" Julia exclaimed. "Those would be way too big."

Barbie scanned the packages for one that said newborn. When he found one, he picked it up. He looked it over quickly.

"Wait," he said. "We don't even know whether we're having a boy or a girl."

"So…"

"So diapers are meant for girls or boys. Why are we bothering to get diapers now when we don't know what we're having?"

"We need to have some diapers at home. I'm due in two weeks. I'm not going to bring a baby home with no diapers."

"Ok so…let's just grab a package and be done with it."

"Why aren't you taking this seriously?" She asked, clearly annoyed.

"Because we're talking about diapers," he replied. "We're not talking about what school he or she is going to or what we're going to name him or her. We're talking about diapers."

Julia shifted uncomfortably. Her feet were killing her. "You're no help," she stated.

"Look, why don't you go out to the car to rest? I'll pick out some newborn diapers, buy the rest of this stuff, and meet you out at the car."

"Don't patronize me. Just because I'm pregnant, doesn't mean I'm incapable of picking out my own baby's diapers!"

"That's not what I said," he replied, getting frustrated.

"I just want your opinion," she said.

"I don't have an opinion on diapers!"

"And that's why you're not helpful!"

"Fine! You pick a package then! I'm going to go find us something to eat for dinner. I'll meet you at the registers."

"Nothing spicy!" She called out after him. "It gives me heartburn!"

"Yeah, I know. You've been saying that for the last eight months!"

Barbie stormed off, knowing that they each just needed a minute to cool off. He knew Julia wasn't herself lately. She was driven by her hormones. Not to mention the fact that she was nearly nine months pregnant and near her delivery date. She had an excuse to be irritable. He was beginning to miss his calm, level-headed wife.

Barbie made his way over to the other side of the store to the grocery section. He went to the frozen foods, looking for a frozen pizza. It was one of the few foods they could agree on in recent months.

"Digiorno has always been my favorite," a female voice said.

Barbie looked up. There was a young woman standing several feet away. She was smiling at him. He couldn't help but notice she was attractive. She seemed to have it all - blonde hair, piercing blue eyes, a nice figure. Before Julia, she would have been just his type.

"It's a little more expensive, but worth it," she added.

"Thanks for the advice," Barbie responded.

Barbie opened one of the freezer doors and pulled out a pizza. He noticed it had onions and peppers on it and immediately put it back. Peppers and Julia's pregnancy did not mix.

"Meat lovers is down here," the woman said, walking closer to him. She pointed to the freezer next to where he stood. She flipped her hair back. "I know that's what men usually like."

Barbie knew she was sparking up a conversation with him because she was trying to flirt with him. It wasn't long ago, he would have reciprocated. He couldn't help but feel flattered.

"Thanks."

"I'm Jen," she said with a smile. "And I'm really good at cooking frozen pizzas."

"I'm sure you are. But I don't think my wife would be too happy if I left her alone for dinner." He lifted up his left hand, showing her his wedding band.

"Lucky lady," she mumbled.

"I'm the lucky one." Barbie reached into one of the freezers and grabbed a cheese pizza. "Have a good night."

Barbie headed off towards the cash registers with a smile on his face. It was nice to know he could still turn a few heads. He walked to the front of the store. Julia was standing with the carriage near one of the cash registers. He noticed she had picked up one of every brand of diaper in an assortment of diapers for girls and boys. He was about to say something about not needing that many different kinds of diapers, but he thought better of it. There was no reason to irritate her even more.

"I'm going to the car," she said. "You can check out."

She turned and walked slowly off towards the parking lot. Barbie stood in line with the cart, waiting to check out. Once all of the items had been scanned and he paid for everything, he made his way to the parking lot. He packed the bags of merchandise in the trunk and then slid into the driver's seat. Julia was sitting in the passenger seat, staring out the window. Barbie noticed she wiped a tear from her cheek.

"Hey, you ok?" He asked.

"Fine," she snapped. "Let's just go home."

Barbie reached over, pushing her hair away from her face so he could get a better look at her.

"Julia…"

"Just...don't," she said, pushing his hand away.

"Is this really because I said I didn't have an opinion about the diapers?"

"No."

"Then what's going on? You ok?"

"Just drop it."

"Babe…"

She turned to look at him. "I saw that woman you were talking to! In the frozen foods section."

"Ok…" he said, not sure what she was so upset about.

"Forget it," she huffed.

"Wait...so you're mad because a random woman struck up a conversation with me while I was picking out a pizza?"

"She was pretty and sexy and flirting with you and…and unlike me, she probably wasn't about to bite your head off at any moment like I am!"

"I can't believe you're jealous of the frozen food aisle girl."

"Oh no?"

"I'm just…" she trailed off.

"Just what?"

"Insecure!"

He almost laughed when she finally told him, but he knew better than to actually crack a smile.

"Julia…" Another tear rolled down her cheek.

"How could I not be insecure? Look at me. I'm huge and bitchy and difficult to deal with and I hate that I've been acting this way. I'm just so tired and uncomfortable and I just want this baby to be here."

Barbie reached across the center console and took her hand.

"Babe, look at me." She turned her head slowly so she could look into his eyes. Her cheeks were stained with tears. "You're not huge, you're pregnant. And it doesn't matter because you are so beautiful and sexy and you will always be beautiful and sexy."

She scoffed. "Don't say that just to make me feel better."

"You are carrying our child. There is nothing sexier than that. And I know you're tired and you're uncomfortable and your hormones are going crazy. I wish there was something I could do to make that better. But our baby is going to be here soon and it'll get better. So you don't need to feel insecure because you are the only one I want. You're the only one I'll ever want. That's why I married you. That's why I'd marry you all over again."

"I don't deserve you."

"No, I don't deserve you. Now, come on, we've got a non-spicy frozen pizza with our name on it waiting to be cooked."

As Julia went to put on her seatbelt, she gasped. "I don't think we're having pizza tonight."

"Why?" Barbie asked, confused. "In the mood for something else? I can go run back in the store and pick up something if you're craving…"

"I'm not craving anything." She looked at him. "My water just broke."

Barbie looked at her, his eyes wide.

"We're having a baby," he said.

"We're having a baby right now."

He finished helping her clip in her seatbelt and sped off, ready for the rest of their lives to begin.

Author's Note: So sorry for the delay in posting chapters. My life is just crazy! Thanks for reading – hope you enjoyed this one!


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10 – Jail**

(Inside the Dome during the episode "Curtains")

Is she alive? That was the question floating through Barbie's mind as he stood in the jail cell in the basement of the Chester's Mill police precinct. He was so worried, he couldn't sit. He had to know if she was ok. He had to know if he had done enough. He had done the best he could to save her and protect her, but he was worried. Anything could happen. The thought that she could be out there somewhere dying or being a pawn in Big Jim's hands made him want to cry. She was the key. She was the only one who could prove his innocence. Only she could tell the town that he wasn't the one who had shot her. It killed him to think that the people of the town were convinced by Big Jim that Barbie attempted to kill her. He would never hurt her.

"Please," he whispered to himself. "Please be ok. Please don't leave me."

He fought back tears, thinking about the moment her heart stopped at the clinic. He thought he had lost her and it would have been all his fault. He may not have pulled the trigger, but it was his fault. If it weren't for him, Maxine wouldn't have gone after Julia. If Maxine weren't already dead, he would have killed her.

Barbie finally sat down on the bench in the jail cell. He lowered his head, unable to stop thinking about her. The image of her in the ambulance floated through his mind. That was the moment he finally admitted what he had been feeling for days. He was in love with her. He had never felt that way about another woman before. With most women he was only concerned with how they connected in the bedroom. With Julia, it was completely different. They connected both inside and outside the bedroom. He couldn't lose her. He wanted to build a future with her. Of course he knew, in his current predicament, that he didn't have much of a future left. Big Jim wasn't going to be happy until he was swinging from the neck. Sitting there alone, though, he realized he didn't care. All he cared about was that she was alive and safe. If he had to die to save her, he would gladly do it.

He was torn from his thoughts when he heard footsteps on the stairs. He stood up, ready to meet whoever was coming down. He expected to see Jim. The last person he expected was the person who came through the door. He gasped, not sure if he was seeing what he was really seeing. She made her way over to the cell slowly.

"My God, how are you even standing?" He asked.

"I don't know. But something out there really wanted me back on my feet."

He longed to touch to her; to feel her skin beneath his fingertips. He had to make sure she was real. With his hands handcuffed behind his back, he did the next best thing. He leaned his face towards the bars. She did the same and their lips met. The familiar feeling of her lips sent a wave of relief over him. She was alive and they were back together again. He couldn't have asked for anything more.

"I wish I could hold you," he said as they parted.

"We're going to get you out of there."

"I don't understand how you're here."

"The important thing is I am here," she replied.

"Big Jim is after you."

"I know but right now I'm more worried about you."

"I'm sorry," he said.

"You have nothing to be sorry for. You saved me."

He shook his head. "Julia, if you knew…"

She cut him off with a kiss, silencing him. They both ignored the sound of footsteps bounding down the steps.

"That's enough, lovebirds," Angie said. "It's go time."

She unlocked the cell and Barbie emerged. He caught Julia's eye. She nodded and somehow he knew everything was going to work out.

Author's Note: I struggled with whether or not I was going to set any of these one-shots during particular episodes. Finally, I decided to just go with it. I know it was short, but I hope you liked it!


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11 – Kids**

**(Inside the dome – Immediately following the episode "Black Ice")**

"Come on, you should sit down and rest," Barbie said, his arm securely around Julia's waist. They were standing in the doorway of the Sweet Briar, watching the dome as it seemed to shift and change. The air had grown warmer. It was no longer dangerously cold outside. Barbie thought back to the overturned ambulance he and Julia had been trapped in. He wondered if the risk of letting her heart stop so he could carry her to safety and remove the rod that was stuck in her leg, had been worth it. It had been an impossible decision. He knew there were no guarantees that she would wake up even if he got her warm. He knew if he hadn't been able to wake her up, he never would have forgiven himself.

"What's happening to the dome?" Julia asked.

"I don't know, but we gotta get you properly bandaged up."

Even though the bleeding had mostly stopped in Julia's leg, he wanted to make sure her leg got properly wrapped up and cared for to prevent infection.

"I'm fine," Julia insisted.

"You're not fine. You have a gash in your leg, Julia. And let's not forget that your heart stopped. You were officially dead not twenty minutes ago and your body's still warming up. You need to take it easy."

"We need to figure out what's going on. If the dome is changing…"

"We will figure it out. But first we're going to take care of you."

"You worry too much," she said with a smile although he could already tell she was getting tired.

He tugged on her arm and pulled her back into the diner. She sat down in one of the chairs, hissing as the fabric of her Jeans rubbed against her wound. Barbie knelt down in front of her, inspecting her wound. It was difficult to tell how deep it was with her Jeans in the way.

"Take off your pants," he commanded.

Julia eyed him flirtatiously. "Is that how you get a woman to take off her clothes, Mr. Barbara?"

"It's one way."

Smiling, Julia stood up, keeping the pressure off of her bag leg. She unbuttoned and unzipped her Jeans and began to shimmy them down her legs. She cried out as the fabric ripped from her open wound. Barbie helped pull the Jeans completely off and helped her sit back down in the chair.

"How bad is it?" She asked as Barbie looked at the gash.

"Not bad now that we've stopped the bleeding. Just gotta keep it from getting infected."

He grabbed some of the supplies he had taken from the ambulance and began treating the wound. He was happy to see the gauze pads he was using were mostly free of blood. He picked up a bottle of antiseptic and poured some on one of the clean pads. He looked up at Julia. She was staring at the soaked gauze pad in his hand.

"Just do it," she said.

Barbie pressed the pad against her wound. She bit her lip to keep from crying out. Tears streamed down her face. Barbie cleaned the gash as quickly and thoroughly as possible. When he was done cleaning it with the antiseptic, he wrapped it with gauze and medical tape. He looked up at Julia, noticing her face was turned away from him. She was trying to hide her pain from him.

"All done," he assured her. He brought his hand to her cheek and slowly wiped a tear away with his thumb.

"Thank you," she whispered.

"You'd do the same for me."

"Not just for fixing me up. For not leaving me. You could have gone. You could have saved yourself, but you didn't."

"I'd never leave you."

"You should have."

He shook his head. "I never leave a man...or woman behind."

"I love you," she said. "I want to make sure you know that. I love you."

"I know. I love you, too."

He kissed her lightly, reveling in the feeling of her lips against his. It wasn't that long ago he thought he might never feel her lips again.

"Did you mean it?" She asked a moment later when his forehead was pressed against hers, both of their eyes closed.

"That I love you? Of course I meant it."

"No, not that. In the ambulance, you said that we were going to build a life together. That we'd have love and kids. Did you mean it?"

"Every word," he said. "I want to build a life with you, Julia. In this dome or out of this dome. In Zenith or wherever life takes us. I want to be with you. And I want us to have everything we want. Marriage and kids and happiness and love. All of it."

She smiled, tears glistening in the corner of her eyes. "That sounds perfect."

"You deserve it all."

"We deserve it all," she corrected.

He took her hands. "It's just going to be you and me and a houseful of kids."

"A houseful?"

"Mhmm. At least four boys and a girl."

"Oh really?" She questioned. "And who's going to have all of these kids?"

"I would if I could, but I think that's your department."

"I am not having five children."

"Well, how many kids do you want?"

"Two."

"Two?" He asked. "That's it?"

"I think two is enough."

"We'll see."

"I'm not going to be one of those women who spends her life pregnant."

"I think you'd make a very sexy pregnant woman."

"That's what you say now. Wait 'til I'm huge and full of hormones."

"You'll still be sexy as hell."

"How about we put our hypothetical children on the back burner and worry about more important things. Like what's happening with the dome?"

"Fair enough. But I'm not giving up on four boys and a girl."

"Keep dreaming, Barbie."

He stood up, helping her to her feet. She took a tentative step, bearing weight on her injured leg.

"How does it feel?"

"I'll make it."

"Let's go see what's going on."

She nodded. "Ok."

Hand in hand, they walked out of the diner together.

Author's Note: I loved all of the little "moments" Julia and Barbie had while they were trapped in the ambulance. I kept wishing they would revisit the whole "kids" thing that Barbie talked about. I thought it was just a sweet moment. This was my take on how I thought a follow-up conversation might go. Hope you liked it!


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12 – Lifejacket**

**(Outside the dome)**

"Are you really not going to tell me where we're going?" Julia asked.

"Nope," Barbie answered simply.

"You know I hate surprises."

"You don't hate surprises. You just hate not being in control."

Barbie reached across the center console of the car and squeezed Julia's knee. She brushed him off as if she was angry with him, but he knew that wasn't the case. She had been pestering him for over a month, asking him what his 'special surprise' was. He just kept telling her that she had to trust him. Even with all of her best detective skills as a journalist, she hadn't been able to figure out what he was up to.

As it was, they had been driving for over four hours. Julia would not stop bugging him about where they were going, but he still hadn't caved. At one point, when they had stopped at a rest stop to stretch their legs, Julia even attempted to look through their suitcases without Barbie noticing. She was sure that if she could figure out what kinds of clothes he had packed for her, she would be able to figure out where they were going. He had managed to catch her before she even got the trunk open.

"At least tell me how much longer we're going to be driving," she whined.

"Nope."

She crossed her arms over her chest, pouting like a child.

"Well, we're heading west so we must be headed for the coast. Are we going to a beach house?"

"I told you, I'm not answering any of your questions."

"You're no fun!"

"Why can't you just let yourself be surprised?"

"Because I told you, I hate surprises!"

"You know, you're cute when you're frustrated," he said with a smile.

"You're not funny."

"I wasn't trying to be."

She was really beginning to hate the little smirk he had permanently on his face since they started off that morning. It was a smirk that said he knew something that she didn't. Although she would never admit it out loud to him, he was right - she hated not being in control. She sat with her arms crossed, watching the other cars go by out the window.

"No sex," she stated after a few minutes of silence.

"What?"

"We won't be having any sex whenever we get to wherever it is that we're going if you don't tell me where we're going."

"Are you trying to blackmail me by withholding sex?"

"I'm doing what I have to do to find out where we're going."

"Ok," he said after a quiet moment.

"Ok?" She asked. "I mean it. No sex."

"You're loss," he replied.

Frustrated, she threw her hands into the air. "This is practically kidnapping, you know."

"Tell that to the port authority."

"Port authority, what are you…"

As Julia tried to figure out what he was talking about, Barbie put on his blinker and exited off the highway. Julia read the large, green sign before the exit. 'Port Authority – Exit here for all cruises.' Finally, it was beginning to make sense. They were going on a cruise. She smiled, knowing why Barbie had gone through all the effort to planning a trip for them. It was the one-year anniversary of the dome coming down. It had been one year since they had their freedom. One year since they had moved across the country to the West Coast, determined to make a life together. It had been the best year of Julia's life.

Barbie took a few turns before arriving at a busy parking lot. Julia could see several cruise ships all lined up and ready to go. There were cars, buses, taxi cabs, and people everywhere. It apparently was a busy day for cruising.

"So…" Barbie began. "Are you still withholding sex?"

"That depends."

"On what?"

"On whether or not you packed me enough shoes."

"You'll just have to wait and see."

Barbie stopped the car in a valet line. As he gave his keys and information to one of the valets, Julia got out the passenger side. When he was through with the valet, Barbie walked back over to her. She was staring out over the ocean.

"So, where exactly is this cruise going?" She wondered.

"You'll have to wait and see."

"You're really not going to tell me?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"Because I know how much you love surprises," he said with a smirk.

Barbie grabbed Julia's hand and they began walking towards the terminal.

A few hours later, Barbie and Julia had successfully boarded the cruise ship and were finally beginning to make their way towards their state room. Although Barbie wouldn't tell her where the ship was headed, Julia managed to get the information out of a woman in the bathroom. They were bound for Hawaii. Just the idea of warm sun, sandy beaches, and fruity drinks put a smile on Julia's face. Hand in hand, they walked down the corridor towards their room. Barbie stopped outside the door, put the plastic key inside, waited for the light to turn green, and opened it. Julia gasped. The room was bigger than she ever would have imagined on a cruise ship. There was a king size bed in the middle, a chaise lounge at the foot of the bed, a sitting area with two chairs off to one side, a large bathroom including a Jacuzzi tub, and glass doors that led out to their own private balcony. Julia looked back at Barbie.

"This is amazing," she exclaimed as she toured the room. Barbie was too busy watching her reaction to care about the room at all.

"Nothing but the best for our dome anniversary."

Julia smiled. She walked over to the glass doors and pulled them open. Stepping out onto the balcony, she breathed in the fresh air. Although they hadn't left port yet, and the view was nothing but buildings and the parking lot for the port authority, she still felt like she was in a special kind of paradise. Barbie joined her. Standing behind her, he slipped his arms around her waist. She leaned her head back against his chest.

"Thank you," she said.

"You're welcome."

"I love you."

She arched her neck back to look up at him. He lowered his lips to hers, giving her a long, lingering kiss. As he was about to spin her around so he could face her and give her a real, proper kiss, she broke away from his arms and headed back into the room.

"Where are you going?" He asked.

"I need to see what you packed for me."

She picked her suitcase up off the floor and placed it on the bed. She quickly unzipped it and began rummaging through the contents. She started throwing clothes out onto the bed. She saw a variety of shoes, shorts, tops, and every bathing suit she owned. She also couldn't help but notice Barbie packed all of his favorite underwear for her.

"Well, what do you think?" He asked.

"You didn't pack me any pajamas," she noticed.

"Didn't think you'd need any," he replied with a smile.

"I'll just sleep in yours," she retorted.

"I didn't do such a bad job, did I?"

She reached the bottom of the suitcase and pulled out a flat, white shirt box with a large pink bow wrapped around it. Although the bow had gotten slightly crushed by all of the other items in the suitcase, the package still looked beautiful.

"What is it?" She asked.

"Something you can't open until tonight," he said, grabbing the package from her.

"That's not fair!"

"That's life, babe."

"You already surprised me once today."

"And later tonight you'll be surprised again."

"But…"

Before she could finish, a bell rang through the speakers in the hallways. With the package still in his hand, he opened the door so they could hear the announcement better.

"Good afternoon, passengers!" A cheerful, male voice said. "Before we can commence our voyage, it is now time for us to conduct our lifeboat drill. Please take your lifejacket from your stateroom and proceed to your assigned lifeboat area. The drill will begin in ten minutes."

Barbie went back in the room. He placed the package on the bed, knowing it was killing Julia to have it so close, but to not know what was inside. He went into the closet and took out two lifejackets. When he looked over at Julia, he could see her staring at the package.

"Come on," he said, holding out one of the lifejackets.

"Do we really have to wear these?"

"Gotta practice. Don't want to end up like the Titanic."

"I don't think there are too many icebergs on our way to Hawaii," she retorted.

He opened his mouth, gaping. "How did you find out where we're going?"

"I have my ways."

"You are wicked, you know that?"

"Maybe you'll find out just how wicked later on tonight…if you let me open that package."

"Patience, my love, patience." He placed the lifejacket over her neck. "You look sexy."

"Shut up."

Barbie pulled on his own lifejacket on and grabbed her hand. Together, they walked out of the room. Julia couldn't help but look back at the package on the bed.

As the afternoon wore on into evening, Julia found herself sitting on a lounge chair around one of the ship's three pools. She had changed into one of the bathing suits Barbie had packed for him, a simple, polka-dotted one piece. She decided to save the more exciting bathing suits and bikinis for another time. She wore a white cover-up over it, trying not to expose her skin to too much sunlight. Other people lounged around her, enjoying the beautiful weather and scenery. Kids and parents splashed and played in the pool. The ship had finally launched and was sailing peacefully across the water. Julia was reading one of the books Barbie had thankfully remembered to pack for her. As she turned the page, she felt her stomach gurgle. Trying to ignore it, she continued to read.

"Hungry?" Barbie asked, coming up to stand beside her chair.

Julia looked up at him in his swim trunks and T-Shirt. He was holding a large plate piled with fruit and pastries. She immediately had to look away. For some reason, just looking at the food was making her stomach churn. She focused back on her book.

"No, thank you."

He sat down on the edge of her chair, taking her feet on his lap. He popped a strawberry into his mouth.

"You ok?" He asked. "You look a little pale."

"Yeah. Just a little…nauseous."

"Seasick?"

She shook her head. "I don't know. Maybe."

"Have you ever been on a boat before?"

"Aside from a ferry once when I was a kid, no."

"And did that make you sick?"

She tried to remember the ferry ride her parents had taken her on for a day trip to the beach. She tried to remember the trip, but couldn't actually remember the beach. Then she remembered why she had no memory of the beach.

"I spent the whole time in the bathroom, bent over the toilet with my mother holding my hair. We never even made it to the beach."

"I'll get some seasick medication from the first aid station," Barbie said.

"You know what would make me feel better?"

"What's that?"

"Opening that package."

He laughed. "You won't quit, will you?"

"Not until I know what's in it."

He looked down at his watch. "Fine." He stood up and pulled her to her feet. "We'll stop in at first aid on our way."

They made their way through the crowds of people enjoying their vacation. Barbie couldn't help but notice a group of guys sitting on a large hot tub, leering at Julia as she walked by. They looked like a group of college fraternity brothers. He slipped his hand around her waist, giving them the silent message that she was off limits. They walked through the large ship, passing through some elegant seating areas, a lounge, one of the cafeterias where Barbie had gotten his food, and the main entranceway with a grand piano and crystal chandelier hanging above. If Julia wasn't feeling so sick, she probably would have made them stop to awe at how magnificent the ship was. As Barbie said, they stopped at the first aid station and picked up a few seasick pills. Julia took one immediately. They continued on their way until they ended up back at their stateroom.

Julia burst through the room and immediately hopped onto the bed. On her knees, she picked up the package.

"Eager, much?" He asked.

"I told you, I hate surprises."

"You haven't hated this one so far."

She chose to ignore him, not wanting to give him the satisfaction that he had been right. Barbie sat down on the edge of the bed, waiting to see her reaction to the gift. Julia untied the ribbon on the top of the package. She lifted the lid off the box. Whatever was inside was wrapped with delicate, pink tissue paper. She carefully unfolded the tissue paper and picked up the garment that lay beneath. It was a lacey, black negligee with a matching black thong. Julia had worn several different provocative nightgowns in the past to spice up things in the bedroom, especially after the dome fell and they didn't have to worry about their survival anymore, but the one she was holding was a step up from anything she had worn before. Julia held it up against her body.

"I think this present was more for you then for me," she said with a tease in her voice.

"Maybe. Do you like it?"

She crawled over to the edge of the bed where he was sitting and looped her arms around his neck.

"I love it. Maybe I should go try it on."

"While I would love that, we have dinner in half an hour." Again, the mention of food made Julia's stomach turn. "Are you going to be ok to eat?"

"I'll be fine."

"Good, because I heard that dining room has amazing food. Oh, and dinner's formal."

"Formal? As in, evening wear formal?"

"That's usually what it means. Don't worry, I packed you some dresses."

Julia looked at the pile of clothes she had thrown on the bed earlier in the day when she was digging through her suitcase. She found a crumpled up, black dress in the middle of the pile. It clearly needed to be ironed.

"We have dinner in half an hour?"

Barbie nodded. Julia grabbed the dress and ran towards the bathroom. She turned on the shower and then immediately took the iron out of the closet. She turned it on, letting it warm up, before going back into the bathroom.

"What are you doing?" Barbie asked.

"I have thirty minutes to take a shower, iron my dress, put on makeup, and figure out what I'm going to do with my hair," she huffed.

"Babe, you don't need makeup. You look beautiful without it."

"While I appreciate the sentiment, you're wasting my thirty minutes."

Julia hopped in the shower, leaving Barbie sitting on the bed, chuckling to himself. He never could understand what took women so long to get ready. He unzipped his suitcase, pulled out a dress shirt and began to get dressed.

Exactly thirty minutes later, Barbie and Julia were standing just outside the dining room. Julia had managed to make herself look 'presentable,' as she put it. Barbie, on the other hand, would have said she looked drop dead gorgeous. Then again, she could be wearing a potato sack and he'd still think she was gorgeous. They followed as the hostess led them to their table. As Julia walked, she could feel herself rocking unsteadily and it wasn't because of the heels she was wearing. The pitching and moving of the boat was really starting to get to her. Barbie grabbed her arm as she began to teeter.

"You ok?" He asked.

"Just haven't gotten my sea legs yet," she replied.

Barbie pulled out her chair and helped her as she sat. He sat across from her and the waitress gave them their menus.

"Looks like a good wine list," he commented.

"What do you know about wine?" She responded.

He shrugged. "Just trying to sound impressive."

Julia looked over the menu. Each item made her feel sicker than the last. The waiter came over to take their orders. Barbie ordered a bottle of wine for the table as well as a steak and potato dinner. Julia simply asked for a salad.

"We've got all the free food we can eat, and you're eating a salad?" He questioned once the waiter had walked away.

"If I ate like you, I wouldn't fit into that brand new, unused negligee."

"Now that would be a tragedy," he said. "But you'd be beautiful no matter what."

"I'll still stick to my salad."

They fell into typical conversation as they waited for the food to arrive. Barbie asked her what she would like to do once they got to Bermuda. He started listing some of the excursions like scuba diving, parasailing, and more. She was feeling too sick to her stomach to care much. She began to wonder when the seasickness medication would kick in.

"Babe, you don't look so good," he said.

"I think…I think I'm going to find the bathroom."

She stood up, her cloth napkin falling to the floor from her lap. Barbie stood up, too, offering her his hand.

"You going to be ok by yourself?"

"I'll be fine."

Barbie watched her go, unsure if he should follow. He sat back down at the table, sipping his wine. He noticed Julia's glass was still mostly full.

"It's all about the inner ear," a man from the table next to theirs said.

"I'm sorry?" Barbie asked.

"Your wife."

"Oh, we're not married," Barbie quickly corrected although he wasn't sure why he bothered.

"Well, I would say she is definitely seasick. It's all about the inner ear. Sometimes standing on the deck and looking at the horizon helps."

"Thanks, we'll try that," Barbie said.

"Has she tried any medication?" The man asked.

"Harry, leave the young man alone," the woman across from the man said.

"I'm sorry, I'm a doctor," he explained.

"Finally convinced him to take a vacation after thirty years and he still can't stop giving out advice," the woman stated.

"Well, thank you for your advice. I appreciate it. She took some medication from first aid a little while ago." Barbie told them. "Hopefully she'll feel better soon."

"I'm sure she will," the woman said.

"Thanks. Have a good evening," Barbie replied.

"If I may," the man continued. "You better marry that woman. Don't want to give up a looker like her."

"I'll keep that in mind."

The older couple turned back to their meal, leaving Barbie alone. He waited at the table another few minutes before deciding to go off, looking for Julia. He walked towards the restroom, stopping outside the door for the women's room. After waiting another moment, he knocked on the door.

"Julia?" He called.

"I don't think I'm going to make it through dinner," she said.

"Anybody else in there?"

"No."

He opened the door. He checked under the stall until he found one with feet. She pushed the stall door open from the inside. Her face was a shade of green. She was holding a wet paper towel in her hand. She wiped the paper towel across her mouth. She had clearly vomited.

"Oh baby," he said, feeling guilty that she was feeling so lousy. "Come on, let's go back to the room."

"I don't think I can make it."

"I'll help you."

Barbie put his arm around her waist, letting her lean on him. As they walked by the sinks, he grabbed a paper bag that the cruise always had available in case of illness. They walked out of the bathroom and headed towards the elevators, passing by other couples dressed in their best for dinner.

Julia felt a wave of nausea hit her as they rode the elevator down towards their stateroom. Barbie ushered her down the hall. He got the door open just in time for her to run into the bathroom and dump whatever was left in he rstomach into the toilet. Barbie knelt behind her, holding her hair back.

When she felt like she was done, she sat back against the wall. Barbie grabbed a facecloth, wet it, and pressed it against her forehead. He helped take her shoes off, trying to make her more comfortable.

"Want to get off the floor?" He asked a moment later.

"No," she answered. "It's nice and cool down here."

"Let me get you something else to wear," he said.

"I don't have any pajamas, remember?"

"I'll find you something."

He went to his own suitcase and pulled out a T-Shirt and pair of boxer shorts. He took her cosmetic bag out of her suitcase and grabbed a hair elastic. When he went back to the bathroom, Julia was laying on the floor, her cheek pressed against the cool tile.

"Thank you," she said.

"Want to sit up?"

"I don't think I can."

"Let's try it."

Barbie helped her sit up. She leaned against the wall, feeling her stomach churn again. She leaned over the toilet and threw up again. Barbie pulled her hair back, tying the elastic around her curly, red locks. When she was done, he wiped her face with the wet cloth and unzipped her dress. He managed to wriggle her out of the dress and then he quickly pulled his T-shirt over her head. She immediately laid back down on the floor.

"Maybe you should go to bed," he suggested.

"Too far," she mumbled.

"You can't stay on the bathroom floor, babe."

"Why not?"

"Because there's a very comfortable, unused king sized bed out there just waiting for us."

"Too sick," she groaned, her empty stomach still hurting. "I like it here on the floor."

Barbie sighed. "Ok. I'll get you a pillow."

"No. Don't want to mess up one of the fancy pillows. I might throw up on it."

"Julia…"

"Just…get me a towel or something," she said sleepily, her eyes closing.

Barbie looked around. He saw the lifejackets they had used earlier on the floor near the closet. He picked one of them up and brought it into the bathroom. He put it on the floor and Julia grabbed it, using it as a pillow. Barbie sat down next to her, rubbing her back.

"I'm sorry," she said.

"It's ok, babe. It's not your fault you're sick."

"I ruined our night."

"I'm sure we can find some other time for you to wear that little, black sexy nightgown."

"It's a negligee," she corrected. "You don't have to stay with me in the bathroom. There's a big, unused bed out there, remember?"

He leaned down and kissed her on top of the head. She was beginning to fall asleep.

"I'm not going anywhere. Sleep. I'll be right here."

"I love you," she whispered.

"I love you, too. Happy anniversary, babe," he said as she fell asleep.

When Barbie woke up on the bathroom floor, Julia wasn't with him. He rolled his neck, trying to work out the soreness. Sleeping sitting up on a bathroom floor did not agree with his body. Barbie stood up and stepped out of the bathroom. He scanned the room, but Julia was nowhere to be found. He looked on the desk and found a short, handwritten note.

"Be back soon," he read out loud.

Unsure of where she went, but glad she had at least bothered to leave a note, Barbie sat down at the edge of the bed, stretching his arms above his head to stretch out his muscles. He flopped down onto his back, letting his body sink into the comfortable mattress. He closed his eyes

After a few minutes, he heard the door to the cabin open. Barbie opened one eye and saw Julia walking towards the bed.

"Hey," he said, propping himself up on his elbows. "How are you feeling?"

"Better."

"Where'd you go?"

"Went to the doctor on board. He gave me a shot to help with the sea sickness. Something a lot stronger than just the pills I took yesterday. He said I should be ok for the next twenty-four hours."

"That's good. But you should have woken me. I would have gone with you."

"I didn't want to wake you."

"From the bathroom floor?" He asked, jokingly.

"Yeah, sorry about that. I do have something for you, though."

"Oh yeah?"

"A proper thank you for last night. For staying with me on the floor last night."

"What's that?"

Julia grabbed the hem of the black bathing suit cover-up she was wearing. She pulled it over her head and flung it on the floor. She was standing in front of Barbie in the lingerie he had given to her as a gift. She looked better in it than he ever could have imagined.

"Do you like?" She asked, posing for him with her hands on her hips.

"You are so damn sexy."

"And don't worry, I've brushed my teeth three times and chewed two different kinds of minty gum. I am officially puke free."

"Can we not talk about puke when you're dressed like that?"

"Right. Sorry."

"Come here," he beckoned.

She jumped onto the bed, straddling his hips. Running her hands under his shirt, she leaned down and kissed him. Although the sun was shining outside and the weather was beautiful, Julia and Barbie didn't leave their room.

Author's Note: So, this chapter turned out to be A LOT longer than I expected. I was going to just write a cute, short story about having to do a lifejacket drill on a cruise ship. Obviously it turned into something much bigger than that. I hope you enjoyed their cuteness!


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13 - Maxine**

Julia was on her way to the Sweet Briar, practically humming to herself. She didn't know why she was in such a good mood. It had been a long time since she had felt actual happiness. First, things with her husband hadn't been going well for months. He had morphed into a man she barely recognized. Then, of course, the mysterious dome had fallen over Chester's Mill and the entire town had spent days trying to figure out what to do and how to survive. Barbie was a big part of that survival. He was the one thing making her so happy. He had appeared almost out of nowhere, but she had been instantly attracted to him. Together, they made an incredible team.

Julia smiled, thinking about their first kiss in the rain. She was the one who had initiated it. She had gone out looking for him even though they were fighting because she didn't want to be alone. She not only wanted him, but knew that she would never survive in the dome without him. It was as if the dome had brought them together.

As she neared the Sweet Briar, Julia looked in the window. She could see Barbie standing in the middle of the restaurant with Big Jim. Confused as to why they were there together, Julia reached for the door handle to burst in and ask what was going on. As she did, she saw a blonde-haired woman step out from behind Barbie. The woman leaned in and gave Barbie a kiss. Julia let go of the door handle, watching the scene play out in front of her. Barbie was kissing another woman. She had her hands on him as she had kissed him dozens of times before. Julia couldn't bear to stand there another second. She immediately turned around and headed towards home, tears streaming down her face.

Hours later, Julia was sitting in bed, trying to focus on the book in her lap. She had been sitting with the book for nearly thirty minutes, but she hadn't read more than two pages. She just kept picturing Barbie kissing the unknown blonde over and over again in her mind. As she thought about it again, she heard Barbie coming up the stairs. She quickly buried her nose in her book. She had thought about what she was going to say to him. It wasn't exactly like they had talked about being together exclusively, but she had assumed they were both being faithful. Clearly, he didn't see it that way.

"Hey," Barbie said as he walked into the room.

"Hi," she replied, not looking up.

"How was your day?"

"Fine."

Barbie pulled his shirt over his head. "I'm going to take a shower. Want to join me?"

Suddenly Julia felt anger coursing through her veins. She couldn't understand how he could so easily go from kissing one woman to asking another to fool around with him in the shower.

"I'm reading," she stated, biting back her anger.

"Everything ok?" He asked, sensing something was wrong.

"Fine."

"Julia…"

"Maybe you should sleep in the guest room tonight."

"Oh...ok," Barbie replied, clearly confused. "Can I ask why?"

Julia finally looked over at him. The look of confusion on his face made her even angrier.

"You are unbelievable!" Julia slammed her book shut and scrambled out of bed. "Forget it, I'll sleep in the guest room!"

"Woah, wait a minute. What the hell is going on? What did I do?"

Julia stopped as she reached the doorway. She turned around, anger in her eyes.

"You don't remember kissing another woman just a little while ago?"

Barbie sighed. "Julia…"

"Don't 'Julia' me!" She paused, taking a deep breath. She had something to say and she sure as hell was going to make him hear it. "I get it, you know. We never made any promises to each other. We didn't talk about being exclusive. I guess I just assumed that there was no one else. I thought that just surviving under here and being with me was enough for you, but obviously I was wrong. I let you, a practical stranger, into my bed. I misjudged you and that's on me."

"Julia, let me explain."

"No! I'm not that woman. I'm not that woman you can sweet talk until she believes you. I won't be duped or lied to. I saw you at the Sweet Briar with my own eyes. So you can't deny it and you can't try to explain it to me!"

"I'm not going to deny it. She kissed me!"

"It didn't look like you were exactly pushing her away."

"Yes, I kissed her back."

Julia was taken aback. She hadn't expected him to admit it. She felt like she was seeing the kiss all over again.

"I guess that's all there is to say then," Julia said.

Julia began to walk away. Barbie followed her, grabbing her arm in the hallway.

"Her name's Maxine. I knew her before the dome."

"Let go of me!"

He did as she asked, letting go of her arm.

"Please, just let me try and explain."

She crossed her arms over her chest. "You said you didn't know anyone in Chester's Mill. That you'd never been here."

"I hadn't. I didn't know Max lived here. She's kept herself hidden for the last few days, trying to do what's right for her. That's how she is. Always looking out for her best interest."

"How do you know her?"

"I...worked for her."

"Let me guess, you were mixing business with pleasure."

"Yes, but that was before the dome. Before you."

"Yet you were still kissing her at the diner."

"Maxine has this way of getting what she wants. She's willing to do anything. She has an incredible power of persuasion and she'll blackmail people to make things go her way."

"So that's why you kissed her? Because she's persuasive? You're not helping yourself, Barbie."

"I don't want to lie to you, Julia. I did kiss her, but I didn't want to. She doesn't like that she and I aren't together and she definitely doesn't like that you and I are. Knowing what I know about Maxine, she's willing to do anything to keep us apart. I'm just trying to keep everyone safe."

"By kissing her?"

"By making her think she's in control. I know it sounds crazy and I'm sorry that you had to see that."

"Why didn't you just tell me about her when she first showed up?"

"I didn't know how. And I don't want you involved with her. She's dangerous, Julia."

"Clearly you underestimate me."

"No, I just…" Barbie sighed, not knowing what else to say. "She is everything wrong and bad in my life, Julia, and you are everything right and good. Before I joined the military, all I wanted was to get out of my father's shadow. I wanted to be proud of who I was as a man. And in the military, I was proud of myself. But the things that happened there...the things I had to do there...it changed me. And when I came home, I did things I wasn't very proud of. Working with and being with Maxine was one of those things. But then I came here and the dome happened and I met you. And you make me want to be that man I can be proud of. You make me want to be better."

Julia wiped a tear from her cheek. She didn't know how to feel or what to think. She wanted to believe him, but it was so hard. He was still practically a stranger to her.

"Please don't cry," he said.

"I'm falling for you," she admitted, sniffling. "Despite everything that's happening, I'm falling for you. I don't know how I became that woman. My husband is gone for a few days and I'm falling for a man I barely know."

"I know you don't know if you can trust me. And I'm sorry. That last thing I want to do is hurt you. I'm falling for you, too. I want to survive this thing with you, Julia, not with anybody else."

"I need...time...to think."

"Ok."

"Goodnight, Barbie," she said, heading towards the guest room.

"It's your house. I'll take the guest room," he offered.

Julia made her way back to her bedroom, closing the door behind her. She climbed into bed, letting the tears fall freely. She knew she was being stupid. She and Barbie had just met. She had no reason to be jealous or angry or hurt, but she was. She laid down and closed her eyes, trying to sleep, but sleep didn't come.

Julia stayed in bed for hours, tossing and turning. She couldn't stop thinking about him. She missed falling asleep with his arms around her. She missed the sound of his breathing. She missed feeling safe. She glanced over at the clock. It was just after two AM. Knowing that what she wanted was just a few doors away, Julia got out of bed and went down the hall. She stopped outside of the guest room door. She knew if she went in, it would be admitting that he meant more to her than she was willing to admit out loud, but she didn't care.

Julia opened the door slowly. Even in the dark, she could see Barbie lying down on the bed. When the door opened, he sat up.

"I'm sorry," he said.

She walked over to the bed and climbed in. Barbie opened his arms and she settled herself against him, leaning on his naked chest. He kissed the top of her head and held her.

"Promise me it won't happen again," she whispered.

"I promise."

"I hate being the jealous, other woman."

"You're not the other woman. You're the woman, Julia. The only one for me."

She closed her eyes, his heart beat below her ear lulling her to sleep. When he could hear her slow, even breaths, Barbie placed his lips next to her ear.

"I love you," he whispered before closing his own eyes and falling asleep with her in his arms.

Author's Note: So I felt I really needed to write a chapter about Maxine because I feel like Julia and Barbie never really got to talk about the whole "Maxine" thing. I debated on whether or not to write about her after she shot Julia or before but, before just worked better. I hope you liked it! Thanks for reading and please don't forget to review!


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14 – Newborn**

**(Outside the dome)**

"It's a girl!" The nurse exclaimed, holding the newborn baby for both Julia and Barbie to see.

Exhausted, out of breath, and still tingling with pain, Julia smiled. She longed to hold her new daughter, but knew she would have to wait a few more minutes. Barbie stood next to her, squeezing Julia's hand. He couldn't take his eyes off the crying baby. His baby. He knew babies were small, but as he stared at her, he couldn't help but feel like she was tiny. Too tiny for a man like him. How was he supposed to hold her without crushing her? How was he going to know what she needed? What if she didn't like him?

"We have a daughter," Julia said, pulling Barbie out of his thoughts.

He looked down into Julia's eyes, seeing the tears flowing freely down her cheeks. He brushed his own tears away.

"It's a girl," he repeated to himself. "We have a daughter. I'm a dad."

"Yeah, and I'm a mom."

Barbie was still completely in awe. In awe of Julia's strength, in awe of everything that had transpired since Julia's water broke ten hours earlier, and in awe of the new, crying baby that the nurse was holding up for them to see. He couldn't believe that he and Julia had created something so amazing.

"Would you like to cut the chord?" The nurse asked Barbie, holding out a pair of sterilized medical scissors.

He took them in his hand. The nurse showed him where to make the cut. As he saw the umbilical chord break, he felt nothing but joy in his heart. He was a father. The nurse quickly took the baby, clearing her nose and mouth of any mucus. Barbie turned back to Julia. He brushed her matted hair away from her forehead.

"You are amazing," he said. He leaned over her and gave her a quick kiss on the lips.

"I'm sorry for crushing your hand," she replied.

While in labor, she had taken out some of her pain on Barbie's unsuspecting hand. He didn't once complain, though. He could only imagine the pain she was going through to bring their child into the world.

"It's fine," he assured her, wiping her matted down hair away from her forehead. "I love you."

"I love you, too."

The nurse walked over to Julia with the baby wrapped in a blanket in her arms.

"Ready to meet your daughter?"

Julia put her arms out and the nurse gently placed the baby in them. Julia brought the baby against her chest, holding her carefully. The baby opened her eyes slightly, enough for Julia to see that they were a light brown. Although she had very little hair, it was the lightest shade of red.

"She's perfect," Julia said. "I can't believe she's finally here." She leaned down and placed a gentle kiss on the baby's forehead.

"Hey baby girl," Barbie said to her. He rubbed his thumb over her tiny cheek. "I can't believe how small she is."

"She'll grow," Julia said.

She had to wipe another tear from her cheek. She had wanted a baby for so long. With Peter, they were both always too busy to worry about having children. With Barbie, though, it was different. Perhaps it was because being stuck in the dome taught them that life was too precious to waste or perhaps because they knew they were meant to be together, starting a family became a priority. After being out of the dome for only a year, they got married. It was only a few months later, Julia presented Barbie with a positive pregnancy test. She had never seen him happier. Nine months later, Julia's water broke as she was sitting at the kitchen table eating breakfast. It had been a whirlwind of a year, but neither of them had ever been happier.

"You were so incredible," Barbie said.

"We haven't settled on a name yet," Julia reminded him. They had gone back and forth on names so long, they both decided to wait until they could hold their baby in their arms before they made a final decision.

"I still like Isabella," Barbie replied.

"I think I have a better idea."

"Please tell me you're not pushing for Penelope."

Julia smiled. "No. How about Angie?"

Barbie tore his eyes away from his daughter to look at Julia. He knew exactly what she was thinking. Even after all of their time away from the dome, it was impossible not to remember the people they lost. Angie had been one of those people. Her life was cut short in the most horrible way imaginable. Barbie could think of no better way to honor her than to name their daughter after her.

"It's perfect," he finally said.

"Our beautiful little Angie."

Julia brushed another light kiss against the baby's forehead.

"You should get some rest," he said.

"You just want to hold her."

"She's going to be daddy's little girl," Barbie said.

"I'm sure she will be."

Barbie carefully leaned over and took Angie from Julia's arms. He made sure he she was secure, cradling her head. He made a silent promise to her that he would never let any harm come to her. Barbie began to walk around the room, slowly rocking the baby in his arms as she slept.

As the nurses bustled around, cleaning up and checking on the monitors and machines, Julia watched Barbie with their daughter. She couldn't believe just how tiny she looked in Barbie's strong arms. It made her see Barbie in a whole new light and she loved him even more than in that moment than she ever had before. Although she never wanted to take her eyes off her baby, Julia could feel her eyelids getting heavy. She was exhausted, both mentally and physically. She knew she needed to rest. As she let her eyes close, she could hear Barbie talking softly to the baby.

"Hello, baby girl," he said. "I'm your daddy. And that amazing woman right there is your mommy. We both love you more than anything in this whole world. You're going to grow up to be so amazing. I hope you get your mother's looks and her amazing strength, but I hope you get my temper. She can fly off the handle sometimes."

"I heard that," Julia said, groggily.

"But she is the most remarkable, extraordinary, beautiful woman I've ever met. I hope you grow up to be just like her."

"Nice save," Julia mumbled.

Barbie walked closer to the bed. Julia scooted over just enough to give him enough room to climb in with her. He lay back against the back of the bed, which was propped up to make Julia more comfortable. Julia immediately rested her head on his shoulder. Barbie leaned over and kissed her on the cheek. She fell asleep as Barbie safely held their future.

Author's Note: I just couldn't do different "pregnant" stories without adding in one about the actual birth of the baby. Thank you to everyone who has been following these stories. I'm having a blast writing them!


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15 – Orange**

**(Outside the dome)**

Julia opened the refrigerator door. She peered inside, looking around plastic Tupperware containers, various condiments, and other leftovers, trying to find what she was looking for. She pushed aside a head of lettuce and nearly knocked over a jug of iced tea. Still, she didn't see what she needed. Closing the refrigerator door, she looked in the fruit bowl that was always kept in the middle of the kitchen table. There was a brown banana and two apples, but not what she was looking for.

As Julia heard Barbie coming down the stairs, she purposefully turned around, away from him so she wouldn't be able to see him. She was so angry, she didn't even want to see his face. While Julia started making two peanut butter and jelly sandwiches at the counter, Barbie came into the kitchen.

"Boys are dressed and just brushing their teeth," Barbie announced. She didn't respond. He went over to the refrigerator and grabbed a gallon of milk. While Julia started smearing two pieces of bread with strawberry jelly, Barbie grabbed two cereal bowls and spoons. "Did you hear me?"

"Yes," she finally answered.

Barbie glanced over at her. As she turned to grab the peanut butter, he noticed the annoyed look on her face. He just wasn't exactly sure what was annoying her. The fact that Adam and Brian were both awake and dressed before 7:30 AM on a school day was impressive. He thought she would be happy that she didn't have to go upstairs and drag them out of bed. Neither of them had known that having seven-year old twins could be so difficult to wake up and drag out of bed on time for school.

Barbie put the bowls and spoons on the table and went into the closet for the cereal. He poured the cereal into the bowls and added the milk. When he was done, he went to the bottom of the stairs.

"Milk's in the cereal!" He shouted up the stairs. "Soggyness will commence in T-minus ten seconds!"

"We're coming, dad!" The boys shouted simultaneously.

Barbie went back into the kitchen. Julia was just putting the boy's sandwiches in their matching blue lunchboxes. She grabbed two juice boxes out of the refrigerator and added them to their lunches.

"Can I help?" Barbie asked.

"What would have helped would be if you got the oranges at the grocery store last night like I asked you to," Julia answered.

"What are you talking about?"

"I specifically put oranges on the grocery list."

"Ok," he said, not sure where she was going with the conversation.

"The deal was I would stay home and give the boys a bath and help them with your homework and put them to bed and clean up the house if you went to the grocery store and got everything on the list. You didn't."

Barbie tried to remember if he had seen oranges on the very long grocery list Julia had given him. He was sure he had gotten everything on the list, especially after she had hounded him a million times about what brands to buy. She wouldn't let her boys eat just anything.

"Ok. So, I'll stop at the store for some oranges after work today."

"You had one thing to do while I had dozens."

"The boys will survive one day without eating an orange. I know we want them to be healthy, but…"

"The oranges weren't for the boys to eat!" She interrupted. "They were for their science experiment today. Each student was supposed to bring in an orange. Now, while all of the other kids are conducting the experiment, our boys will be left out because their father forgot to buy them oranges even though I put them on the list."

"What kind of experiment are they doing with oranges?" Barbie wondered out loud. Julia shot him a glare. He knew immediately it was the wrong question to ask. He had seen that look from her many times before in their ten years of marriage. It was a glare that said he was better off shutting up than digging himself into a deeper hole.

"I'll run out to the store right now," he offered.

"Oh? And make us more late than we already are?" She snipped, clearly angry. "Don't bother."

"We're not running late. For once we're actually on time."

"On time for you means late," she corrected. "I'll stop at the grocery store on the way to school. It'll make me late for my meeting with the editor, but at least the boys will have their oranges."

Barbie put his hand on her shoulder. "Julia…"

The boys came bounding down the stairs into the kitchen as Julia brushed Barbie's hand off of her. The boys each sat down and began gobbling up their cereal.

"I thought you said they were dressed," Julia said.

"They are," Barbie replied.

"They cannot go to school in those clothes!"

"Why not?"

"Those are their play clothes. They're all dirty and torn up. The teacher will think we don't know how to clothe our children."

"They look fine. I'm sure students come dressed to school worse than that."

"That's your defense?"

"Julia…"

"Upstairs," Julia commanded with a voice only a mom could muster. "Now."

"But mom…" Adam began to whine.

"Listen to your mother," Barbie said even though he didn't necessarily agree with her. Sure, the boy's clothes looked a little worn out, but at least they had clothes on.

Both of the boys finished inhaling their cereal and trudged back up the stairs. Julia completed their lunches by throwing a bag of fruit snacks in each. She put the lunch boxes into their backpacks by the door and zipped them up. When she returned to the kitchen, Barbie was busy making himself a coffee.

She huffed on her way over to the table. She grabbed the boys' bowls off the table and headed for the sink.

"I'll do it," Barbie said.

"I got it," she replied, still clearly annoyed.

As he turned to grab a mug for his coffee, he bumped her arm. One of the bowls of milk she was holding splashed onto her blouse. She looked down, seeing the stain on her shirt. Barbie immediately reached for a towel as she dropped the bowls into the sink. "Now I have to change," she said.

He tried to blot the stain with the towel. "It's just milk. It'll come right out."

"Just don't!" She exclaimed.

She stormed out of the room, running up the stairs. "Boys, we are leaving in three minutes!" She yelled as she walked down the hallway to their master bedroom.

Barbie heard the bedroom door slam. He cringed. He knew Julia was overworked and overtired. She had recently been promoted to senior editor at the Post and was working long hours. Between that and getting the boys to school, making sure their homework was done, keeping the household running, soccer practice, and cub scouts, she was worn out. Barbie couldn't remember the last time they were even alone. Although he loved his boys, he missed that time with her. He remembered the year after the dome finally came down. They had been inseparable - barely spending more than a day apart. That felt like a lifetime ago.

Exactly two and a half minutes later, Julia came down the steps with the boys trailing behind. They had managed to change into acceptable, clean clothes. Julia had changed her blouse and was carrying her work bag over her shoulder. She handed each of the boys their backpacks and opened the front door.

"Say goodbye to your father," she said.

Barbie crouched down. They each ran into his arms, hugging him. He kissed them each on the top of the head. Julia started to tap her foot impatiently. Barbie released them and they ran out the door. He stood up and walked over to Julia, attempting to give her a quick kiss. She turned her head and walked out the door without so much as giving him a look back.

Barbie had just finished lighting the second candlestick when he heard Julia's car pull up in the driveway. He quickly put the lighter he was using back in the junk drawer in the kitchen. Just as he closed the drawer, he heard the front door open. Julia walked into the kitchen, dropping her work bag on a bar stool.

"Hey," he said.

"Where are the boys?" She asked without really looking at him. "Please tell me you did not forget to pick them up from school. I told you that I had a late meeting and that I need you to…"

"The boys are fine. I picked them up on time from school and then dropped them off at Charlie's. They're sleeping over."

"The boys are gone all night?" She questioned, finally looking at him. She noticed he had changed his clothes from the morning. He was dressed in nice Jeans and a button-down shirt.

"Mhmm. We are officially alone until ten AM tomorrow."

Julia looked past him into the dining room. The lights were dimmed down low, but she could see two candlesticks burning on the table, illuminating two place settings.

"What's going on?" She asked.

"I wanted to give you a special night for just us. It's been way too long since we've been alone. And I wanted to…apologize for not buying oranges."

"I have…work I have to do," Julia said. "My deadline is Monday and if I don't…"

"Julia, we need this."

She sighed, knowing he was right. It wasn't that she didn't want to spend time with him, she just couldn't stop thinking about everything that had to be done. Her deadline was looming, the boys' room was a mess, she couldn't remember the last time the bathroom had been cleaned, and there were dozens of others things that she couldn't even remember.

"Stop," he instructed.

"What?"

"Stop making lists in your head. Let's just have a nice evening together. You can go back to making lists and worrying in the morning."

Barbie walked behind her and pulled off her coat. He went over to the coat rack in the hallway and hung it up. It was something she always nagged him to do. He had a tendency to drop his coat wherever he wanted. She was always reminding him to hang it up.

"You didn't have to do all this," she said when he appeared back in the kitchen.

"Yes I did." He paused. "I know I drop the ball sometimes, Julia and I'm sorry."

"I just…I need you to be in this with me. I can't always be the one who reads the notes from school and knows when they need oranges or an extra snack or a signed permission slip or..."

"I know," he cut her off before she got on a roll. He took a few steps closer to her.

"And if I put oranges on the list, I need you to buy oranges," she said.

"I know."

He finally got close enough to her to put his hands on her hips.

"I'm sorry I got so angry this morning," she apologized. "It's just…work and the boys and I feel like I'm failing you."

He furrowed his brow. "Failing me? What are you talking about?"

"I'm not being a very attentive wife."

"Julia…"

"Can you even remember the last time we had sex?" Barbie wasn't about to admit that he knew exactly how long it had been since they had had sex and that the number of days was in the double digits. He didn't need her to know that he was counting.

"Things have been crazy, babe. You're not failing me just because you're too busy being an amazing mom and the best damn journalist you can be to have sex."

"You remember Lauren and Chris from the Christmas party last year?"

"Yeah," Barbie answered, wondering why she was bringing them up. "They were a nice couple if I recall."

"Well, Lauren found out that Chris has been cheating on her for the past year or so. You want to know his reason?"

"I guess."

"Because she was too busy for him," she explained. "The spark left their marriage and he found it somewhere else. They're getting divorced. They have three kids."

Barbie brought one hand up to cup her cheek. He brushed his thumb over her smooth skin.

"That's not going to happen to us," Barbie stated.

"How do you know?"

"Because I love you. Because from the moment I met you, I knew you were the only woman I ever wanted to be with for the rest of my life. You are the mother of my children, the love of my life. I could never ask for anything else."

"Sometimes love isn't enough."

"It is for me. Come on, Julia, this is you and me we're talking abut. Not Chris and Laura."

"Lauren," she corrected.

"Whatever. We're not them. Sure, sometimes we get so busy that we forget that we need time together. This won't be the first time this happens and it won't be the last, but we'll work it out. We've worked out everything before. I plan on growing old with you, Julia. I plan on sitting with you in a rocking chair on our front porch and watching our grandchildren play in the yard."

"We don't have a front porch," she pointed out.

He smiled. "Always a critic."

Barbie leaned down and kissed her hard, trying to pour all of his love into that kiss. When they broke apart, Barbie took Julia's hand. Tugging on it, he led her into the dining room. He had not only set the table for two including the candles, but he also had food containers from Julia's favorite restaurant.

"You did this for me?" Julia asked.

"You deserve it. I thought about cooking, but then decided you'd probably frown on the mess I'd make in the kitchen. Plus we both know that my cooking is limited to boxed macaroni and cheese and hot dogs. So, I got your favorite."

"I will take chicken marsala from Vesuvios over macaroni and cheese and hot dogs any day."

"I thought their chicken parmesan was your favorite." Barbie smirked. "Just kidding. Of course I know chicken marsala is your favorite. Same reason there's two slices of turtle cheesecake in the refrigerator for later."

"You really know a way to a woman's heart, don't you?"

"To yours? Always."

"I love you," she whispered.

Julia looped her arms around his neck. She pressed her lips against his. It started slow, both of them enjoying the feeling of the other's lips. As Barbie was about to pull away and suggest they start eating, Julia began slowly unbuttoning his shirt.

"Food's gonna get cold," he murmured against her lips.

"The food can wait," she replied.

"Have I ever told you I love the way you think?"

Julia answered him with a kiss.

Over an hour later, Julia and Barbie were sitting on the dining room floor, leaning against the buffet table, both still very naked. Barbie had grabbed a blanket from the back of the couch in the living room and wrapped it around them both. The half-empty container of chicken marsala was on the floor between them. Barbie stabbed a bit of mashed potato and brought it to Julia's mouth. She ate it.

"Sitting on the floor, eating cold mashed potatoes with you may be new favorite thing," Julia commented.

"I'll have to keep that in mind for next time. We could move to the bedroom, you know."

"We have all night. What's your hurry?"

"You never fail to surprise me," he responded.

"I'm never going to be able to look at this dining room floor the same way again," she commented.

"If I remember, we christened the dining room floor way before the boys were born."

"Oh yeah," Julia said with a smile on his face.

"Now that was a good day."

"Same day we christened the shower."

"Both of them," he corrected.

She laughed. "As good as those memories are, I wouldn't trade the life we have now for anything."

"Me either."

"I love those boys," she stated.

"Yeah, as much as they drive us crazy, they're good boys. I guess we'll keep them around for a while."

"It is nice to have one night without them though, isn't it?"

"Yes it is," he agreed. "Maybe we should try getting rid of them more often."

Julia smiled. "I heard a rumor that there was turtle cheesecake in the refrigerator."

"Who told you that?"

"This handsome man I know. And I think the one thing that might be better than naked cold mashed potatoes might be naked turtle cheesecake."

"Well, we'll just have to try it to be sure."

"If you insist," she said.

Barbie stood up. Julia couldn't help but admire his very naked form. He disappeared into the kitchen. Julia finished off the mashed potatoes while he was gone.

"Hey babe," he called from the kitchen, staring at the refrigerator, which was covered in photographs, pictures the boys colored, various cards, and invitations.

"Yeah?"

"What's today's date?"

"The 14th," she answered. "Why?"

"That would make tomorrow Saturday, the 15th, huh?"

"Where are you going with this?" She wondered.

"The boys have a birthday party tomorrow."

"Yeah, it's Scott's birthday at the batting cages. It's at noon I think. That should give us plenty of time to pick up the boys, throw them in the shower, and then get to the party on time."

"What did you buy him?" Barbie asked.

"What did I buy him? I told you to buy a gift last week."

Barbie didn't respond. He appeared in the doorway with the boxed cheesecake in his hand. He walked over to where Julia was still sitting and handed her the cheesecake. She took it, but set it aside.

"You didn't buy a gift, did you?" She asked.

"Better eat that cheesecake before it gets too warm," he responded.

"Barbie!"

"I'm sorry. I forgot."

"I asked you to do one thing! To buy a gift for an eight year old!"

"I know. I got caught up at work that day."

"You had a whole week!"

"I'm sorry. We can stop on the way to the party tomorrow."

"That means taking the boys into a toy store where you know it's impossible to take them without a huge meltdown when they don't get anything. Not to mention they'll argue over who gets to pick out the gift. That's why I wanted you to do it last week."

"I said I'm sorry, babe."

She took a deep breath, trying to calm down. She did not want to ruin their night together by being angry.

"This is going to cost you," she finally said.

"Ok, name your price."

"On Tuesday and Thursday, you're driving carpool to the soccer game. And next weekend you're going to take the boys all day on Saturday so I can get a pedicure and a facial. And then maybe I'll forgive you for not getting the gift or the oranges."

"I thought this night to make up for the oranges."

"Fine. It'll make up for not buying the gift then. Oh, and one more thing. Before this night is up, we're going to re-christen those two showers."

"You drive a hard bargain, but you've got a deal. Especially when it comes to the showers."

"I'll race you upstairs," she said with a smile.

She threw the blanket off of her and scrambled to her feet. Before she even made it through the dining room, Barbie had caught her. He scooped her up in his arms and carried her upstairs, the turtle cheesecake long forgotten.

Author's Note: This was one of my favorite chapters to write mostly because I love writing dialogue and this chapter was very dialogue heavy. Hope you liked it!


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16 – Photograph**

**(Inside the dome)**

Julia stood in the middle of the living room, her hands on her hips. She was staring at a photograph on the mantle. She had thought about removing it dozens of times over the last few days. Every time she walked by it, she stopped and looked at it. It was a simple picture. It was a photograph of her and her husband taken on a hiking trip, but it haunted her. Ever since Barbie had entered her life, every time she looked at it, she felt like she was betraying her husband. But then she would feel guilty that she was thinking of Peter at all when she had Barbie right in front of her. It was a constant battle.

Julia took the few steps towards the mantle and flipped the picture frame over so she couldn't see the photograph anymore. She didn't want to see her own smiling face or that of her husband.

"Hey," Barbie said, walking into the room. She turned around. Barbie could see the look of confusion and desperation on her face. "Everything ok?"

"Yeah, I just…" She looked back at the turned over photograph. "Just trying to figure a few things out."

Barbie glanced over her shoulder and noticed the frame turned over. He had been very aware of the photograph on the mantle. He had walked by it dozens of times. The photograph constantly reminded him that he had killed Julia's husband, even if Peter was the one who set him up and practically forced him to shoot him. And it reminded him that Julia had not only loved someone else other than him, but was married to him when they met. Barbie knew his anger was stupid and irrational. He had been with other women and he knew she had been with other men, including her husband. But Barbie still felt the sting of jealousy when he remembered she had been married not that long ago.

"You don't have to take it down," Barbie said even though he was happy not to look at it anymore. He had to remind himself that he was in Julia's house.

She looked back at him. "I know, but I think I need to."

"He was your husband, Julia."

"That was the past. It's just a memory. This is now."

She took the frame off the mantle completely, removed the photograph, and put the photograph in the drawer of the desk nearby. She put the empty frame back on the mantle.

"Looks empty," he commented as she went to stand next to him. They both stood, staring at the empty frame.

"Well, then I guess we'll have to fix that."

Julia walked away towards the basement stairs.

"Where are you going?" Barbie asked.

"Going to find us something so we can make a memory."

She opened the door to the basement, turned the light on, and disappeared down the steps. Curious, Barbie followed her. They had already ransacked the basement for anything useful. They found every flashlight, battery, can of food, or anything else that might be useful and brought it to the main floor to use. They hadn't really been in the basement since.

Julia knelt down in front of an old trunk. She opened it and began digging through, throwing the contents on the floor. It looked mostly like old papers and mementos from school. Barbie noticed her take out a stack of photographs. He bent down and picked it up. He began flipping through the stack. They were obviously photographs from college. A few were from Julia's graduation while others were of her holding up copies of the college newspaper, pointing out her name on the byline. He continued to flip, and smiled when he found a photograph of Julia and some friends laughing with margaritas in their hands. The next picture was her sitting on a beach under a large umbrella with a skimpy, blue bikini on.

"How about we use this one?" He asked, holding up the photograph so she could see.

She scoffed. "You'd like that, wouldn't you?"

"Yup."

"Spring break my senior year. That was a very good vacation." She had a big smile on her face as she looked at the photo and remembered the good times she and her friends had on that vacation.

"Oh really?"

"Mhmm."

She reached over to take the photo from him, but he immediately hid it behind his back.

"I think I'll hold on to this one," he said with a smile. "You know, in case I want to remember you." Her smile disappeared. She stopped digging, looking defeated. "What? What did I say?"

"Nothing," she answered.

"Something's wrong. If you want the picture back, Julia, you can have it. I was just kidding."

"No, it's not the picture. I want you to have the picture. Just like I want a picture of us."

"What do you mean?" He asked.

"What happens when we get out of here, Barbie?"

"We go back to living our lives."

"I mean with us," she clarified. "What happens to us?"

"We find a place to start a life together."

"Together?" She questioned, not sure if he really meant it.

"Of course. Is that what this is about, Julia? You're afraid we're not going to be together when we get out of here?"

"I don't know. I know I want us to be together. I want to see if we can really make this work out there in the world."

He took her hand. "That's what I want, too."

She smiled. "Ok. But what if we don't make it out of here?"

"Julia…"  
"No, just hear me out. We don't know what's going to happen. We don't know if we're both going to make it out of here or if any of us are going to make it out of here at all. And if we don't make it, no one would know about us. No one would know that we cared about each other. If we were out in the real world, we'd be able to go out on dates and have take pictures and text and do all the stuff that normal couples do. But here...here we have nothing." She paused. "God, I sound ridiculous."

"It's not ridiculous."

"I just want one photo. One picture of us together so that we can prove we were together. So that we can prove we meant something to each other. And I want something to remember us by...just in case."

"Maybe Joe can get his tablet to work and if he's got a camera app…"

"I think I have something better than that."

She began digging through the trunk once again. Finally, she found what she was looking for. She pulled out a camera.

"You have an old polaroid?"

"A friend gave it to me as a joke for my birthday years ago because I was always snapping pictures for the college paper."

"Does it still have film?"

"I think so. I used it not too long ago at a party. It should still work."

"Polaroid selfie?" He asked with a smile.

"Let's do it."

Barbie took the camera and turned it around in his hand. Although it was much larger than he was used to, he managed to balance it in his hand. Julia stood beside him, placing her cheek against his. They both smiled and he pressed the button. The flash went off and an instant photo appeared. Barbie took the picture and placed it on the trunk to finish processing.

"Shall we do another?" He asked.

"We don't even know if that one worked," she said.

"So?"

She smiled. This time, Barbie wrapped his free arm around her waist. He stretched out the arm with the camera as far as he could and then leaned in and kissed her. Surprised by his action, it took her a moment to kiss him back. As she did, he snapped a photo.

"What was that for?" She asked.

"So people know who we are and that we mean something to each other."

He placed the photo they had just taken next to the first photo on top of the trunk. The first photo was already beginning to appear. Although the picture was off-center, Barbie had done a pretty good job of getting them both in the frame. Julia took the camera from him.

"Take off your shirt," she commanded.

"What?"

"You have a picture of me in a bikini. Now I want a picture of you without your shirt on."

"No."

"Why not?" She pouted. "I need something to remember you by."

"Oh, I'll give you something to remember me by."

He wrapped his arms around her waist and slung her over his shoulder. She shrieked.

"Put me down!" She exclaimed, although she offered little resistance.

"Not a chance."

He carried her up the basement stairs and all the way up to their bedroom. He laid her down on the bed and took off his shirt, throwing it haphazardly to the floor. Julia quickly grabbed the camera and snapped a picture of him and all his shirtless glory.

"Now we're even," she said.

He climbed onto the bed, straddling her body on his hands and knees. "I have another memory we can make."

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah, but you gotta put the camera down first."

"Yes, sir."

She put the camera on the table beside the bed and brushed her lips against his, ready to make another memory.

Author's Note: Hope you liked this chapter and thanks for everyone who has been following this story from the beginning. 16 chapters done, 10 more to go!


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17 – Quiet**

**(Outside the Dome)**

"That's not what I'm saying!" Julia shouted.

"Sure sounds like that's what you're saying," Barbie retorted.

Julia threw her hands up in the air out of frustration. She and Barbie had been at it for almost an hour. What started as a calm discussion turned into a disagreement and then a full-fledged argument. They were sitting around a small, round table in their hotel room suite. There were open Chinese takeout containers on the table, but they had yet to dig in. Once the argument started, they forgot about the food.

Barbie and Julia had been at the hotel for over a week. It was just as a place for them to stay and take refuge after the dome. Once the dome came down, the government immediately took the two of them, and everyone else in the town, to a secure facility for questioning. After hours of interrogation about what happened in the dome, they were finally released, but had to sign an agreement that they wouldn't speak publically about what happened under the dome. Most everyone else in the town was just glad enough to be out of the dome that they agreed to sign anything. Julia had been the one to hold out. She wasn't comfortable with signing anything. Finally, Barbie convinced her to sign to the contract, but she wasn't happy about it. Once they were released, they immediately hopped a plane across the country to be as far from Chester's Mill as possible. They decided to stay in the hotel until they could decide what to do. Neither of them had brought up the confidentiality agreement until Barbie brought in the Chinese takeout and Julia casually mentioned that she was going to start writing a series of articles about life under the dome. Barbie, clearly, was not happy about it.

"Why do you want to pretend that this never happened to us?" Julia questioned.

"I don't want to pretend it never happened," he answered. "I just don't think we need to flaunt it to the world that we were stuck under that dome."

"I'm not flaunting it. I'm trying to tell the truth. That's what I do. I'm a journalist. My job is to report the truth and not let feelings get involved."

"But feelings are involved!" Barbie exclaimed. "These are our lives, Julia."

"And what makes you think things have to change just because we tell the truth about what it was like under there?"

"What makes you think our lives won't change?" He countered.

"The government is trying to bury this under the rug. They're trying to buy our silence. They're trying to act like they had no part in this, but they did! Someone out there is responsible for the dome. Someone out there has to be blamed for the deaths and destruction!"

"Why?"

"You can't really be asking me that!" She shouted. "People died, Barbie!"

"I know people died, Julia. I was there! I buried most of them!"

"Then how are you not more angry about this?"

"Maybe because I just want to get on with life," he said. "I don't want to keep thinking about the past. I want to move forward. I want us to move forward."

"We can move forward and tell the truth at the same time. I'm not backing down on this, Barbie. The truth needs to come out. People need to know what happened!"

"At the expense of what? Our happiness? Our lives?"

"Don't be so dramatic," Julia commented.

"I'm being dramatic? What do you think will happen, Julia, when they find out you're the one going around talking about the dome? What do you think the government will do after we signed those papers?"

"You made me sign," she stated.

"Because they wouldn't have let you go if you didn't sign."

"Then maybe you should have left without me."

He decided to ignore her comment. There was no way he was going to leave her behind. Not after everything they had been through.

"You can say I made you sign, but it's your signature on that contract, Julia. That's all they'll care about. You might like to think that everything is fair in this world, but that isn't how it works."

"You don't think I know that?"

"If the government wants to silence you, they will. I've seen them go after people for much less."

"You think the government is going to assassinate me for telling the truth about the dome? You're taking this too seriously, Barbie."

"And you're not taking it seriously enough!" He banged his fist against the table to prove his point.

"Fine!" She shouted.

"Fine!"

She stormed off into the bedroom, thankful that they had opted for the hotel room suite. At least there was a separate bedroom where she could slam the door. She began to pace around the bedroom, annoyed and angry that Barbie wasn't supporting her on speaking the truth. She thought he knew her better than that.

In the living area of the hotel room, Barbie grabbed the takeout container of lo mein, grabbed a fork, and walked over to the couch. He flipped on the TV, found a history channel program that sounded remotely interesting, and began chowing down. He tried to keep his mind off the argument, but he couldn't help it. He knew the moment they left that government facility that Julia would have a difficult time letting the dome go. He knew she would want to shout about what happened from the rooftops. He only hoped that signing the contract would make her realize that the truth would never be revealed. She clearly didn't care that the government had every right to come after her if she didn't keep her silence. The thought of losing her, after everything they had been through, scared him.  
Barbie let an hour go by before he decided to try to talk to Julia again. He cleaned up the rest of the takeout they hadn't touched, putting it in the small refrigerator in their room. After taking a deep breath, he knocked on the bedroom door. She didn't answer. He opened the door slowly and saw her sitting on the bed, working on her laptop. She was busy typing something.

"Can we talk?" He asked, approaching the bed.

Julia continued to type, not answering him. He stood at the end of the bed, directly opposite her and waited. She didn't even look up at him.

"Julia?" Again, she said nothing. "Are you really not going to talk to me?"

"You apparently want me to be quiet, so that's what I'm doing."

"Come on, Julia, don't be like that. Let's just talk about this." She didn't respond. She just continued to type. "Ok, fine. You want to give me the silent treatment? Two can play that game."

Barbie flopped down on the bed beside her. Although he knew it was immature, he grabbed the remote and turned on the television. He flipped to a music channel and turned the volume up loud. He was doing it to get her attention, but she continued to ignore him. He turned the volume up louder. She kept typing.

He began surfing through stations, every few seconds pressing the channel button on the remote control. Instead of just one loud noise, the room was filled with constantly changing loud noises. Barbie found himself more and more annoyed that she was able to ignore him.

"Fine! You win!" He shouted after a few moments of her giving him the silence treatment. Barbie grabbed a pillow from the bed and made his way out of the room. He slammed the door and went over to the couch. He knew he was going to have an uncomfortable night's sleep, but he wasn't about to give in to her. Barbie settled down, preparing himself for the long night ahead of him.

The next morning, Julia reached her arm across the bed, expecting to feel his body next to hers. He wasn't there. She had forgotten he hadn't gone to bed with her. Instead, her laptop lay open next to her. The story she had started to write about what really happened under the dome was still open. Sighing, she got out of bed and pulled a hotel bathrobe on. She walked out of the bedroom and saw Barbie sleeping on the couch. The TV was still on and his feet were dangling over the edge of the couch. She knew she had two choices. She could either sit down calmly with him to discuss their argument or she could continue giving him the silent treatment.

Not able to make up her mind, Julia made her way into the kitchen and began brewing a pot of coffee. After not eating the night before, she could practically hear her stomach grumbling. Julia grabbed a carton of eggs from the refrigerator. As she reached for a frying pan, she heard Barbie stirring on the couch.

"Good morning," Barbie said, testing the waters. He wasn't sure if she would respond. The fact that she had left the bedroom was definitely a good sign, but he still didn't know what her mood was.

She turned around. He was sitting up on the couch, looking as if he hadn't gotten a very good night's sleep. It was then that she made her decision. She was tired of fighting.

"Hey," she replied.

"So, you're talking to me now?"

She nodded. "Classic female tactic. Nothing like the silent treatment to annoy a man."

"Yeah, I've experienced it before. Don't quite like it much." He got up and walked towards her slowly. "What are you making?"

"Eggs. Want some?"

"Sure. I'll help."

As Julia cracked the eggs into the frying pan, Barbie grabbed some bacon from the refrigerator. He took out a second pan and began frying the bacon. They cooked next to each other in silence.

When everything was ready, Julia grabbed two plates and put them on the table. Barbie began to dish out the food while Julia went for the coffee. They sat opposite each other, much as they had the night before. Neither of them knew quite what to say. The room felt too quiet as they ate.

"Julia…" Barbie began.

"Barbie…" she said at the same time.

"Go ahead," he prompted.

She sighed. "I know you don't want me to go public. I know you're afraid of what the government can do. I'm not naive, Barbie. I'm afraid, too."

"I want you to be safe, Julia. I want us to start a life together. I want to get out of this hotel room and put down roots somewhere with you. To me, that's more important than the truth."

"I don't know if that's enough for me."

"What are you saying then?" He asked, trying to stay calm. He did not want to start another argument. "You don't want us to start a life together?"

"No, that's not what I'm saying."

"Then what?"

She took a deep breath, trying to think about what she actually did want to say.

"All I'm saying is I won't be silenced. But I also don't want to lose you."

He reached across the table and took her hand.

"You won't lose me."

"What if...what if our relationship can't make it out here in the real world? What if we only worked under the dome?"

"That's not true. We worked together to make it through something...horrible. If we can do that, we can do anything. One argument and a night of the silent treatment is not going to scare me away."

"Even if I decide to go public about the dome?"

"I'm not leaving you, Julia."

He squeezed her hand.

"I was thinking…" she said. "Maybe I won't go to the newspapers."

"Oh?"

"I think I'll write a book." She saw his face change from hopefulness to concern. "I'll market it as a work of fiction. I won't use my real name. And I'll wait. Let some of this craziness over the dome die down. It'll give me time to write and figure out what I want to say and how I want to say it. I don't want to put us in jeopardy, Barbie. I want us to build a life together, too."

He took a moment to think about what she said. "Ok," he finally said.

"You're not angry?" She asked.

"No. I'm not angry. We'll figure this out together. I love you."

"I love you too," she said. "And I missed you last night. The bed felt empty without you."

"Yeah, the couch sucked too," he agreed. "And it was much too quiet out here."

"What do you mean?"

"I missed having you beside me, listening to you snore."

"I do not snore!" She exclaimed.

"Yes you do. Cute, little girly snores. I missed hearing them last night."

"You are making this up."

"I like your cute, little girly snores," he continued. "They're very soothing."

"You are unbelievable."

She took her last bite of eggs and stood up. She picked up her plate, dumped it in the sink, and then grabbed her coffee. She stormed off towards the bedroom.

"Are we arguing again?" Barbie asked.

Julia didn't respond and he knew his answer. He was in for a very long day of quiet.

Author's Note: This was another chapter I loved writing because it was very dialogue-heavy. I just think they're so cute when they argue. Thank you so much for reading!


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18 – Rain**

**(Outside the dome)**

A bright light flashed across the sky, followed by the booming sound of thunder. The thunder sounded like it was right above. The sudden, loud noise woke Barbie from his sleep. When he had fallen asleep just a few hours earlier, the sky had been clear. He wasn't expecting the storm, but for the first time in a long time, it didn't matter. He was safe in his apartment and didn't have to worry about the rain, or lack thereof, anymore. He didn't have to race around with buckets, trying to catch the rain water for drinking and bathing. He was allowed to stay dry in his apartment. They had access to all of the water they could ever want.

With his eyes closed, Barbie felt around with his hands for the person who should be sleeping next to him. He wanted to feel her in his arms while he fell back asleep. His hands felt nothing but cold sheets and an unused pillow. Barbie opened his eyes, confirming what his hands had already told him. Julia wasn't beside him. Confused more than concerned, Barbie looked towards the bathroom. The door was open and the light was off. She clearly wasn't there. He rolled over and glanced around. He finally saw her sitting on the ledge of the window, staring out like she was looking at the most beautiful and wondrous thing she had ever seen. She looked so peaceful, he almost hated to disturb her.

"Hey," he said sleepily.

She turned to look at him. "Hey yourself. Storm woke you, too, huh?"

"Guess so."

"It sounds like it's right overhead."

Julia focused her attention back at the window. Barbie watched her for a moment. She was wrapped in a blanket that he usually kept at the foot of his bed in case she got cold. He could see one bare shoulder peeking out from under the blanket.

"Come back to bed," he mumbled.

She didn't move. Sighing, Barbie pulled the comforter and sheet off of him. He grabbed his boxer shorts from the ground where he had tossed them the night before and slipped them on. Quietly he walked towards her. He stood behind her, leaning over to plant a kiss on her naked shoulder.

"What are you doing?" He asked, wondering what had her so mesmerized.

"Watching."

"Watching what?"

"The rain," she answered.

"Why?" He wondered. She shrugged, not giving him an actual response. "Come on. Come back to bed. It'd be a shame to waste all this nakedness."

She smiled. "You're not naked anymore."

"That could change very quickly."

"Didn't get your fill last night, huh?" She asked with a smirk.

"When it comes to you, babe, I can never get my fill."

She sighed contently. She felt the same way. She could never get enough of him. Instead of moving, though, she continued to look out at the skyline. It was so different than what they were used to. For weeks, all she saw out her bedroom window was the walls of the dome. She stood at her window so many times, wondering how they would survive or if they would ever get out, wishing the dome would just come crumbling down. Standing out Barbie's apartment window, overlooking the Zenith skyline, Julia felt free for the first time in a long time. But she also felt something else. Something unsettling - that somehow things would never be the same.

"Do you think this will ever feel normal?" She asked.

"What do you mean?"

"You and me, here in your apartment outside of Chester's Mill. Free to go anywhere, do anything. Not worrying about what we're going to eat, or how we're going to survive, or what's best for the town? Do you think we'll ever just be...normal again?"

"Yeah, I do," he said.

"When?"

"I don't know, Julia. Maybe tomorrow. Maybe next week. Maybe it'll take a year. But someday I know we'll look out that window and not expect to see the dome."

"I woke up when it started raining. And it wasn't even loud rain. Just...normal rain. But it woke me up because under the dome, if it rained, we had to run outside with buckets to save as much of it as possible. Without catching the rain water, we would die. So I got used to waking up because it was the only way we'd survive. That's not normal, Barbie. It's not normal to feel like you have to run outside to gather the rain for your survival. I don't want to feel that way anymore."

"I know. It'll take time, but things will go back to normal. Life will resume again just like it was before the dome."

"Just like before?" She asked.

"Well, with one exception."

"What's that?"

"You and me," he answered. "I'm not letting you go. And if you wake up with the rain, I'm going to be right there with you."

She smiled at the sentiment. As much as she wanted to believe him, though, there was one thing nagging in the back of her mind.

"We haven't even been together that long. I mean, really, it's only been a few weeks."

He could hear the insecurity in her voice. It was rare that she showed her vulnerability to him. She was usually so strong.

"Look at me." She slowly turned around so she could face him. "It doesn't matter how long we have or haven't been together. You're it for me, Julia."

"What if we can't make it in the real world? What if our relationship only worked...in the dome?"

He shook his head. "I don't believe that. We went through something together. But, even with all of the horrors and problems, we managed to fall in love. That means something. I love you, Julia. And I will love you for the rest of my life."

"Even in the rain?"

"Especially in the rain. Now come on, let's go back to bed."

Barbie took her hand and helped her to her feet. As she stood up, she let the blanket drop.

"I have a better idea," she teased, running her finger across the waistband of his boxer shorts.

"See, I told you we were meant to be," he replied before scooping her up in his arms.

Author's Note: Thank you to everyone who gave me suggestions for the letter R. I decided to go with rain because I just had this cute little idea in my head of what it might be like for them immediately after getting out of the dome. And for all of those people who wanted me to write about a "ring," I promise there will be an engagement chapter coming up before I get to Z!


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter 19 – Sam**

**(Inside the dome)**

"Nothing happened!" Julia exclaimed.

"So Sam didn't spend the night here?" Barbie retorted.

Julia sighed. She felt like they had been going over the same thing for hours even though it had been just been a few minutes. She was standing at the kitchen sink, washing out a coffee mug. Her back was towards Barbie.

"Don't ask questions you already know the answer to," she said.

"The only reason I know the answer to that question…the only reason I know he was here was because I ran into him on the front lawn as he went waltzing out of here with a smirk on his face this morning. A smirk that said he was rubbing it in my face that he was here last night. Why can't you just admit it out loud?"

She whirled around, her wet hands dripping water on the floor.

"Fine!" She shouted. "I'll say it. Sam spent the night!"

"Well, at least you're not denying it anymore."

"I never denied it! He did spend the night, but not in the way you're insinuating. I told you, we were working."

Julia grabbed a towel and dried her hands. When she was done, she threw it on the counter next to the sink and walked off, trying to end their conversation. She was still angry with him that he was going along with Big Jim's plan to lessen the number of people in the town. She thought she knew him, thought he would always be on her side, but she was wrong. When he had shown up at the house in the morning, Julia didn't want to let him in. But when Barbie and Sam ran into each other, she knew she had to calm things down before things got too heated. No matter how angry she was with him and his opinion about what was best for the town, they were still trapped in a dome and had things they needed to figure out. It's not like they could avoid each other forever.

"So…Sam was here all night, but didn't spend the night," Barbie continued, following her through the kitchen. "And you expect me to believe he didn't try to make a move on you?"

"Nothing happened because I wouldn't let it," she stated.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" He questioned.

"He tried to kiss me! But I didn't let him!"

Barbie felt the urge to punch something – preferably Sam's face. The thought that he even attempted to kiss Julia filled him with a jealous rage.

"He kissed you?"

"He tried to kiss me," she corrected.

"You didn't mention that before."

"I didn't mention it because it's not important. I backed away, Barbie. I didn't let him go through with it."

"Well, that's a relief," he said sarcastically.

"I don't understand why you're so upset! I don't even understand why you're here! It's not exactly like we've been getting along recently!"

"So just because we had a little fight, you're allowed to have another man spend the night at..."

"Allowed?" She yelled. "You don't own me, Barbie. I'm allowed to do whatever the hell I want to do! And I wouldn't call it a little fight. You went against me, Barbie and sided with Big Jim!"

"I wasn't against you, Julia and I wasn't siding with Big Jim. I was weighing our options. We have to consider everything."

"Does that include killing half the town?" She exclaimed.

"Let's get back to the problem at hand. How can you not understand why I'm upset? How would you feel?"

"How would I feel if what?" She countered.

"How would you feel if you saw another woman walking out of this house in the morning?"

"You spent every day with Linda! But I trusted you with her! I never got angry because you were with her! I never accused you of having a relationship with her because I knew you were working! And did you forget about Maxine? The woman who was so angry that you two weren't together that she shot me?!"

"Exactly! Maxine was angry that we _weren't_ together. I already told you everything about her," Barbie said.

"Yeah, after you kissed her in the diner! You didn't tell me about her until after everything happened. And I forgave you for that! I forgave you for kissing her. I forgave you for not telling me about it. The way I see it, I've forgiven you for a lot of things."

"I never spent the night with Maxine."

"Oh really?"

"Not inside the dome," he corrected. "Not after I met you. Another man spent the night in our house, Julia! Another man who is interested in you!"

"So now it's _our_ house? If I remember correctly, this was my house with my husband before you came along."

Julia stormed off, heading for the stairs. She was done with arguing.

"Julia…" Barbie said, following after her. "Julia, wait."

She stopped halfway up the stairs.

"What do you want me to say, Barbie? Yes, Sam was here. But no, nothing happened because even if we haven't said it out loud, you and me...we have something. Even with all the disagreeing and arguing we do and all the craziness going on, we have something real. And even though we've never talked about being monogamous or exclusive, I thought we were. I'm not just going to throw what we have away so I can kiss Sam! Despite what you might think, I don't just jump from man to man. I'm not the whore the whole town thinks I am!"

She bolted up the rest of the steps and into the bedroom, slamming the door behind her. Barbie was left standing at the bottom of the steps, speechless. He had no idea she felt the way she did. He took a deep breath. He knew in his heart that nothing had happened between Julia and Sam. He trusted that she would never betray him like that. But she was right, they had never made any real promises to each other. He realized that she deserved better than that. Barbie began climbing the steps two at a time. He stopped outside her bedroom door before knocking.

"Go away," she said. He could tell by the quiver in her voice that she had been crying. Barbie opened the door. She was sitting on the edge of the bed, looking out the window, her back towards him. He heard her sniffle.

"Julia…"

"Just leave me alone, Barbie."

"Not until I say what I need to say."

He walked around the bed so he was facing her.

"I'm sorry," he apologized. "I should never have accused you of being with Sam. I know you'd never do anything. I just...I don't trust him, Julia. He's been hiding all this time. He's got a past we know nothing about. He's clearly interested in you…" He paused. "But it doesn't matter if I don't trust Sam, because I do trust you. I'm sorry."

"I should have told him to go home," she said quietly. "I shouldn't have let him stay."

"No. It's your house, Julia."

"It's our house," she corrected.

He smiled. "You're right, you know."

"About what?"

"You and me…we do have something. And I know you'd never jeopardize that. I trust you. Please forgive me."

Julia took a moment to think about his apology. She knew he was being sincere. The only way they would be able to move forward would be if they forgave each other.

"We've all been through a lot. Being trapped here makes us...all a little crazy," she said.

"That's no excuse for my behavior." He took her hands in his. "But I need you know, Julia, I need you to hear me when I tell you, you are not a whore."

She looked away from him, not wanting to meet his eyes. "Tell that to everyone else. All they see is a woman who jumped into bed with a man days after her husband disappeared. They don't say it to my face, but I know that's what they're thinking."

He cupped his hand around her cheek, applying slight pressure. He wanted her to be looking at him when he said what he needed to say.

"It doesn't matter what they think. They don't see the amazing, beautiful, incredible woman I see. And they don't see us. They don't see that what we have is real."

"Is it? Real?" She asked.

"It is for me."

She nodded. "Me too. You're the only one I want, Barbie. Not Sam. Not anyone else. Just you. I've never...felt this way about anyone. Not even with Peter."

"I'm glad to hear that." He paused. "I love you, Julia."

Her eyes began to well with tears. "I love you too."

"I don't want to argue anymore," he said.

"I have a bad feeling this won't be our last argument," she replied with a slight smile.

"You're probably right."

"And we still have that little problem of you agreeing with Big Jim about the flu."

"I wasn't agreeing with him, Julia. We just have some things we need to figure out. Look, let's just decide that no matter what, we'll figure things out together. Even if we don't agree with each other."

She sighed. "Ok."

"Before we do anything else, though, I'm gonna knock Sam's lights out."

"Barbie…"

"Alright, I'll forget about Sam if you do something for me."

"What's that?"

"Kiss me."

"I think that can be arranged."

Julia placed her hands on either side of his face, leaned in, and kissed him. She knew things weren't perfect. They still had a lot to work through, but it didn't matter. He loved her and she loved him. In that moment, that was all that mattered.

Author's Note: This was another one of those scenes that I kept waiting for in the show. I really wanted Julia and Barbie to "have it out" after the whole thing with Sam. What can I say – I love their arguments! I just wanted to say Happy Holidays to everyone and thank you for reading!


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter 20 – Twister**

**(Inside the dome)**

"Julia?" Barbie called out as he entered the house. As he closed the front door behind him, he heard a loud bang from above his head. He looked up, wondering what was going on. He walked through the dark house, looking for any signs of where Julia might be. He headed up the stairs and stopped when he saw a ladder in the hallway leading up to the attic. He climbed a couple rungs until he could poke his head into the attic. He looked around and finally spotted Julia in the corner with a flashlight.

"Julia, what are you doing?" He asked.

She whirled around, startled.

"You scared me!" She said, shining the light towards him.

"Sorry," he said, covering his eyes from the flashlight beam. She immediately pointed it away from him. "What are you doing up here?"

"Joe was looking for some parts to build some...transmitter or something. I don't know. I thought I had an old tape recorder up here he could use, but I can't find it. I did find this, though."

With a box in her hand, she made her way over to him. She shined the light on it and held it up for him to see.

"Twister? The game?"

"I was a twister champion in high school."

"Oh yeah?"

"Mhmm."

"I don't really want to know how you became the twister champion. Or who you played with."

She smiled. "I could beat anyone, anywhere."

"Anyone?"

"Anyone," she answered.

"Well, I was pretty good at twister in my day."

"Not as good as me," she teased.

"Want to bet?"

"What are we betting?"

"The loser does all the dishes for a week," he suggested.

"That all?"

"And the loser spends one night doing anything the winner wants."

"Anything?" She asked suggestively.

"Anything," he answered.

"You're on."

He began his descent down the ladder. Julia followed with the box. Suddenly their night had become a lot more interesting. They walked into the living room. Barbie moved the table in the middle of the room out of the way while Julia took the mat out of the box. She spread it out on the floor and grabbed the spinner.

"We don't have anyone to spin," he pointed out.

"Clearly you don't know the rules of twister," she said. "If there's no referee, you don't use the spinner. Each person takes turns calling out the color and body part."

"Any body part?" He asked suggestively.

"You could just forfeit now if you're not going to take this seriously."

"Oh, I'm taking this seriously. And I never forfeit. I'll even let you go first."

"Such a gentleman," she said.

They both took their positions on opposite sides of the board.

"Ready?" He asked.

"I was born ready. Right foot red," she said.

They both moved their right foot to a red circle.

"Left foot green," he instructed.

"Right hand blue."

"Left hand blue."

"You like to live dangerously," Julia commented.

"I just like that you're wearing a top where I can see your boobs in that position."

"I take back what I said about you being a gentleman," Julia said. "Right hand green."

"Left foot red."

As Julia moved, Barbie stretched and went for the same red spot she was going to occupy. He reached it first, practically pushing her out of the way.

"You really are not a gentleman," she stated, putting her foot on a different red circle.

"I told you, I'm in this to win."

They continued to play, each making moves that made the other stretch into awkward positions. After ten minutes, Julia was in a crab walk position while Barbie was stretched on top of her.

"Give up?" She asked.

"Nope," he answered.

"Left hand green," she said.

They both began moving their left hands. As Julia dragged her hand across the mat, she knocked into Barbie's leg. He began to wobble, and had to quickly put his left hand down on the mat to steady himself.

"You cheating?" He asked once his hand was safely on green.

"No. I can win without cheating."

"Right hand green."

Julia twisted to reach her hand across the mat, but she just wasn't long enough. She tried to reposition herself, but in doing so, she felt herself losing her balance. On instinct, Barbie reached out to catch her and fell, crashing his body into hers. They both landed flat on their backs, with Barbie lying on top of her.

"You knocked me over!" She exclaimed.

"You were about to fall!" He replied. "I tried to catch you!"

"No! You fell and took me down with you! You lost!"

"I did not!" He protested. "You were falling first. You lost!"

"Did not! And get off of me! You're crushing me!"

Barbie rolled off of her and onto his knees. She sat up.

"I did not lose," he insisted.

"Well, neither did I."

"Rematch?" He asked.

"I think I have a better idea."

"Oh?"

She leaned in to whisper in his ear. "Let's bring the mat upstairs." She lowered her voice even more. "To the bedroom."

He smiled. "That sounds like a perfect idea."

"I thought you might like it."

He stood up and offered her his hand, helping her up as well. He grabbed the mat and they began racing up the stairs, holding hands.

Author's Note: Since I know I've done quite a few chapters of them arguing, I thought I should do another cute, fun one. I know it was short, but I hope you enjoyed it! Happy New Year!


	21. Chapter 21

Author's Note: Just to put this story in context, the first part of it takes place soon after Phil dies on the rocks at the bottom of the cliff. Sorry it took me so long to update – things have been busy. Thanks for reading!

**Chapter 21 – Unexpected**

**(Inside &amp; Outside the Dome)**

Julia and Barbie stood on the edge of the cliff, looking over at the newly formed abyss. Just minutes earlier, jagged rocks filled the bottom of the cliff. But the rocks were gone. The unending darkness was back.

"What happened?" Julia asked.

"I don't know," Barbie answered. "I think that earthquake or whatever the hell it was, was really the dome giving us back our portal."

Julia tore her eyes away from the blackness to look over at Barbie.

"You think the portal to Zenith is back open?"

"Why else would the dome change?" Barbie wondered out loud. "Maybe it wants us to have a way out again."

"But how do you know?" Julia asked. "How do you know if we jump, we won't just hit bottom?"

"I don't."

Barbie grabbed a rock from nearby and threw it down into the abyss. They both stood, silently listening.

"I didn't hear it hit bottom," Julia said after a few moments.

"Neither did I," Barbie agreed.

"Maybe the portal is open again."

"Then we shouldn't waste it. We've got to tell everyone. Get everyone down through the tunnel and to the edge."

"And then what?"

"Then we have to convince everyone to jump," Barbie stated.

"I think we're getting ahead of ourselves here," Julia replied. "There's no guarantee jumping will bring us to Zenith. Just because we didn't hear the rock hit the bottom doesn't mean this is our way out."

"Then what do you think we should do because we sure as hell can't stay here, trapped under this dome indefinitely!"

"I know. I just think we need to...test it first."

"How?"

Julia took a deep breath. "I'll jump."

"No way," he said immediately.

"Isn't that what we talked about last time? I'll jump and you'll be the last to make sure everyone gets out safely?"

"That's back when we had the egg to use for leverage. No way in hell I'm letting you jump now."

"Barbie, one of us has to go. And if this does lead us to Zenith, they'll be after you. There's no telling what they might do to you just for escaping last time."

"I'm not letting you do this, Julia."

"It's not really up to you."

He took her hand.

"I can't lose you," he said.

"One of us has to do this, Barbie and I have a better chance of coming out the other side without a problem."

"They're not going to just let you walk out of that playground, Julia. They'll detain you. And they're not afraid to use force to get what they want."

"I'm tough," she assured him.

"I know," he agreed. "That's what I'm afraid of."

"It'll be ok, Barbie."

"How do you know?" He asked.

"Because I think the dome wants us together. I think that's why it brought you here. For you and me to find each other. Finding you, being with you…it was…unexpected, but it's so…right." He brought her hand to her mouth and kissed each knuckle. "I have faith. In the dome. In you and me. Everything is going to be ok."

"Ok," Barbie finally agreed. "But how will I know if you made it to the other side?"

"I'll send you a sign."

"How?"

"I don't know yet," she admitted. "I'll have to figure that out when I get there."

"Do you have a pen?"

"A pen? What do you need a…"

"Do you have one?" He repeated. "Or a marker? Anything?"

Julia searched her pockets. She pulled out a black Sharpie. Barbie took the marker from her and began writing across her arm.

"What are you doing?"

"My dad's address. I know he may not be on our side, but he may be the only help we have." He scrawled a second address. "And this is address for my apartment. If you can get there, it'll be somewhere you can stay and get supplies. Just…be careful because there may be some people looking for me."

"Looking for you?"

"It's a long story," he said, not wanting to get into it with her.

"Let me guess, they're not good people."

"They used to be."

"Tell Joe to keep his tablet with him just in case I'm able to send a message electronically," Julia said. "If not, I'll make my way to the dome somehow."

"I'll wait for you. Every night at eight o'clock, I'll be in the spot we first met."

"Ok," she agreed.

"Ok."

Still holding hands, they took a few steps closer to the edge. Julia turned to Barbie.

"I love you," she stated.

"I love you, too."

He put his arms around her, pulled her close, and kissed her. He could taste the saltiness from her tears mixing in their kiss. He wanted to show her how desperately he loved her and that he, too, had faith that they would be reunited.

"I'll see you soon," she said.

"You better believe it."

He kissed her one last time before finally letting go of her. She crept closer to the edge, her toes dangling over. She turned back to look at Barbie. She smiled as tears glistened in her eyes.

"I love you," she whispered.

"Wait!" He shouted.

With a sigh, Julia took a step back. She didn't want to lose her nerve.

"Barbie, I have to do this. You know…"

"I know. I know you have to do this. I know this might be the only way for all of us to get out of here, but there's something I have to ask you first."

"What is it?"

"Will you marry me?"

She blinked and her mouth opened to speak, but no words came out. Her mind was a jumble. She was shocked and speechless.

"Barbie…"

"I love you, Julia. I know we haven't known each other long, but I know you're the one. I could never imagine my life with just one person, but now I can't imagine my life without you. And I don't care if it's here or in Zenith or anywhere else in the world. I want to be with you. I want you for my wife. I want us to build a life together. And maybe...maybe my timing sucks and maybe it's too fast, but I…"

"Yes," she said simply, cutting him off.

"Yes?" He questioned, not sure if he heard her correctly.

"Yes, I will marry you."

She ran into his arms and he swept her off her feet, kissing her. This time, both their tears mingled together, streaming down their faces.

"I don't even have a ring," he said when he settled her back on her feet.

"It doesn't matter."

"I'll buy you one someday. When we figure all of this out."

"It's ok." She paused. "I still have to jump, you know. Just because you proposed doesn't mean I'm not going to jump."

"I know. I just had to ask you before you did."

"We'll be together soon," she said.

"I love you."

She turned around and stepped off the edge.

6 Months Later

It had worked. Julia had stepped off the cliff into the abyss and had wound up on the playground at Zenith. She had been taken immediately by men in military uniforms. After blindfolding her, throwing her in an unmarked van, taking her to an interrogation room in an unknown location, Barbie's father arrived. He explained that the egg wasn't doing anything for them. Julia managed to convince him that he needed the four hands and the only way they were going to get them was if everyone got out safely. It took some time, but eventually everyone in Chester's Mill jumped off the cliff and ended up Zenith. Barbie was the last one to jump. Julia had been there to greet him. Julia, Barbie, and the four hands had remained detained until they touched the egg and the dome came down and the egg disappeared completely. There was no other explanation other than that the whole thing was over. Eventually, they let everyone go. Julia and Barbie quickly moved as far away from the Chester's Mill as they could. Their destination was the West Coast where the weather was perfect most of the time and the scenery was gorgeous.

That had been six months earlier. Julia sat in their new living room, thinking about that day as she laced up her hiking boots. She checked her backpack one more time, making sure she had enough water, snacks, and a first aid kid. She looked down at her watch. If she and Barbie didn't head out the door in the next few minutes, they'd hit traffic and Julia did not want to spend the beautiful day in traffic.

Julia walked down the hall and into their bedroom. Barbie was standing at his bureau, his back to her. She couldn't see what he was doing.

"You ready?" She asked.

She noticed he slipped something into his pocket. He turned around with a smile on his face.

"Yeah, be right there."

"You ok?" She asked, sensing something was wrong.

"Fine. Why?"

"I don't know. You seem...jumpy."

"No, I'm fine. I'll meet you in the car."

"Ok."

She made her way back towards the front door, grabbed her backpack, and walked outside. It was a beautiful day. The perfect day for a hike. She was looking forward to spending the whole day with him.

As Julia made her way across the front lawn, she couldn't help but smile at the neighborhood around her. There was no dome. She was free to walk wherever she wanted without running into an invisible barrier. Sometimes she felt like she was dreaming.

"All set?" Barbie asked as he joined her outside.

"Yup."

Hours later, Barbie held out her hand, helping Julia up a steep set of rocks. They had been hiking for over three hours. Julia breathed a sigh of relief as she realized they had reached the top. They both stood on the mountain, looking out over the mountain range.

"It's so beautiful," Julia said.

"Worth the hike?"

"Definitely. Although I think I need to start working out more. I'm winded."

"You're beautiful just the way you are," he complimented.

"How do you always know the right thing to say?"

"Just lucky I guess. You hungry?"

"Yeah." She took her backpack off her back. "I brought some snacks."

"We don't need snacks," he said.

She looked at him quizzically. "Why? Do you have sandwiches in your pockets?"

"Not in my pockets."

Barbie walked a few feet away and stepped behind a large bush. He pulled out a large basket and showed it to Julia.

"A picnic basket? Our picnic basket?" She questioned.

"Yes. It's ours."

"How did you get a picnic basket up here?"

"I have my ways," he answered.

"What is going on?"

Barbie put the basket on the ground. He opened it and took out a red and white checkered blanket. He spread it out on the ground and sat down.

"We're having a picnic?"

"Mhmm. With all of your lunch favorites. Chicken salad sandwiches, caprese salad, pita chips and hummus, and your favorite wine." As he listed each item, Barbie pulled them out of the picnic basket and placed them on the blanket. "Sit."

She sat down beside him.

"How did you do this?"

"I told you, I have my ways."

"This is amazing," she said.

"You're amazing."

He poured the wine into two plastic cups.

"Always classy," she joked, taking the plastic cup from him.

"To us," he toasted.

"To us." They each took a sip. "I don't know how you did it, but I couldn't have asked for a better day."

"Well, I do have one more thing that might make it more perfect."

"Oh? What's that?"

"I didn't do this right the first time. But I'm going to do it right this time."

"What are you…"

Barbie shifted his body so he was balancing on one knee. It took her a moment to realize what was happening, but when she did, she gasped.

"I love you, Julia. And we've been through...so much. These last six months outside of the dome have only proved to me how much I want to be with you. How much I need to be with you. I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I know I asked you before, but I'm going to ask you again...the right way…" He pulled a small box from his pocket and opened it. Inside there was a solitaire diamond ring. Julia couldn't suppress another gasp. "Will you marry me?"

She nodded. "Yes. Yes, I'll marry you."

He took the ring out of the box and slid it on her finger.

"Oh, Barbie, it's beautiful."

"So are you."

She took a moment to admire the ring on her finger before pouncing on him. He fell backwards with a laugh.

"I love you," she whispered.

"I love you too."

"You didn't have to do all of this."

"I wanted to make sure you knew I hadn't forgotten that I proposed to you on the edge of the cliff. I want to marry you, Julia. I wanted to marry you then and I sure as hell want to marry you now."

"You mean you didn't propose to me last time under the dome just because I was about to jump off a cliff?"

"Well, maybe that was part of it."

She laughed. "Shut up and kiss me."

"Gladly, future Mrs. Barbara."

"I like the sound of that."

"Me too."


	22. Chapter 22

**Chapter 22 – Vow**

(Inside the Dome)

As Julia drifted into consciousness, she felt happy. She was happier than she had felt in a long time. And she knew immediately why. Barbie. She opened her eyes, blinking against the morning light. She saw him, his face just inches away from hers. He was awake and he was watching her. She couldn't help but let a smile form on her lips as Barbie reached his hand towards her, pushing a piece of hair away from her face. Julia took a moment to study him, to memorize what he looked like in the morning. She wondered if he was doing the same thing.

Julia knew she should get up and get out of bed. She knew the dome was probably going to throw something else at them and that they both needed to face the day, but she didn't want to. All she wanted was to lie in bed with Barbie and never move. She wanted to feel his fingertips brushing against her skin and his lips pressed against hers just as they had been the night before.

She followed his gaze and realized that he was no longer staring at her face. His eyes were focused on her left hand, which was resting on the pillow beside her face. They could both clearly see her wedding ring. It was a glaring reminder that she was still a married woman in bed with another man. Julia immediately slid her hand under the pillow, but it was too late. They were both reminded that what they had done just hours before, no matter how good and right it felt, was wrong.

"Julia, I…" Barbie began.

"I'll go make us some coffee," she said before Barbie could finish.

Julia slid out of bed, grabbing her robe. Barbie couldn't help but watch as she pulled the robe around her naked body. He loved her skin. It was soft and perfect and, as he found out earlier, tasted amazing. Barbie had to remind himself, though, that even though he knew her husband was dead, Julia didn't. In her mind, she was still a married woman. He continued to watch her as she slipped out of the room. He knew he should have stopped her from leaving, but he didn't quite know what to say.

Once she was gone, Barbie laid back against the pillows and sighed. He had made a real mess of things. He should never have kissed her in the rain. He should never have gotten in the car with her and let her drive them to her house. He should never have carried her up the stairs and thrown her on the bed all the while stripping both their clothes off simultaneously. He could have stopped it at any moment, but he hadn't because he didn't want to. He had been attracted to her from the moment he had laid eyes on her. Even after he learned what he had done to her husband, he still wanted her. It didn't matter that they were stuck under the dome. The dome just made things more complicated. He couldn't leave.

Barbie knew the next best thing would be for him to walk out of her house and find somewhere else to stay. It would be easier for both of them if what had happened that night never happened again. But Barbie wasn't ready to give up. He got out of bed and pulled his clothes on. He made sure to attach the radio from the police station to his waistband before walking out of the room. By the time he made his way downstairs and into the kitchen, the coffee had just finished brewing. Julia was standing in front of the coffee pot, her back to him. He stood in the doorway, watching her. He was trying to think of what to say. He heard her sniffle and wipe the back of her hand across her eyes. She was crying.

Barbie took a step towards her. The floorboard under his foot creaked. Julia whirled around.

"Sorry," he said, knowing he had scared her. He walked over closer to where she stood and took two mugs down from the cabinet. He handed one to her. Their hands brushed as he passed her the mug.

"Thanks," she mumbled.

She poured him a cup and handed it to him. She knew he liked it black.

"Thank you," he said.

She poured herself a cup and put in a heaping pile of sugar. While she stirred in the sugar, she stood at the counter, staring out the window at the edge of the dome. Barbie wondered what was going on in her mind. He stood just a few feet from her, trying to decide what he should do. Then he knew – he had to do what was best for her. He had to ignore what he wanted.

"Julia…" She turned around so she was facing him. He could see her eyes were red. "I'm sorry about last night. I know…"

"I'm not," she said.

"What?"

"I'm not sorry. I know it was wrong. I know I'm married and that I made vows to my husband, but I'm not sorry." She paused. "I know it's wrong. I know I should be sorry, but I'm not."

"You can't do that to yourself, Julia," he assured her. "We've all been through so much with this dome and…"

"No. The dome didn't make me do this, Barbie. The dome didn't make me…want you and act on that. When I saw you in the rain last night, when I…walked towards you, I knew. I knew how it would end up, but I got out of the car anyway. I got out of the car and I kissed you. My husband's only been gone for a few days, but I kissed you because I wanted to. What kind of person does that make me?"

He cupped his hand against her cheek. "You are an amazing person. You are kind and beautiful and smart. And you weren't alone in this, Julia. I could have stopped it, but I didn't want to. I wanted you, too."

She stepped away from him, his hand falling from her cheek. She looked back at the coffee pot, not wanting to meet his eyes.

"It sounds so…ridiculous, but I feel…I feel this…connection with you," she said.

"I feel it, too."

"It was never like this with my husband. We got married so young. I never felt…this." She paused, finally looking up at him again. "I know, I sound crazy."

"You're not crazy."

"I've never done this before. I've never…cheated on my…"

"You don't owe me any explanation," he interrupted.

"I just…wanted you to know. I don't make a habit of this."

Barbie opened his mouth to say something, but was interrupted by Linda's voice crackling through the radio at his hip.

"Barbie, can you come by the station?" Linda asked.

Barbie grabbed the radio.

"Yeah, I'll be right there," he answered.

He attached the radio back on his belt.

"I guess you have to go," Julia said.

"Yeah, I guess. I'll…see you later on?"

"Ok."

Barbie put his hand on Julia's arm. "Listen, Julia, I don't know what's going to happen with us or with this dome, and I know you made vows to your husband, but I'm going to make you this vow…I'm here for you. I won't judge you and I don't care about the past. All I care about is you and me and surviving this…whatever the hell it is. And if we can have a little fun in the process." He wrapped his arm around her waist, pulling her body against his. He made sure to leave his hand on her ass. She giggled. "Then why should we be sorry?"

He leaned in and kissed her.

"What about Linda?" She asked as she snaked her arms around his neck.

"She can wait a few more minutes."

He pressed her back against the counter and kissed her like he had never kissed anyone before.

Author's Note: This was a fun chapter. I've always thought the show should have addressed the whole 'Julia was married' thing. Thank you so much for reading and for all of the positive reviews!


	23. Chapter 23

**Chapter 23 – Wedding**

**(Outside the dome)**

Julia stood in front of the full-length mirror, staring at her reflection. She checked for any imperfections. Every piece of hair was in perfect place, her red curls free flowing down her back. Her blue eyes popped with the right amount of makeup, her lips a perfect shade of pink. But it was the dress she really focused on. The white, A-line dress was beaded at the top and flowed to the floor with a sparkling sash around her waist. She smoothed her hands down the dress, feeling the satin beneath her fingertips.

When the door opened behind her, Julia turned around. Norrie was standing behind her, dressed in a bright blue, strapless dress.

"You look beautiful," Norrie complimented.

"So do you," Julia replied.

"Everyone's outside and ready. They're all just waiting for you. Barbie looks great. He really cleans up well in a tux."

"I can't wait to see him. I bet Joe looks pretty good, too."

Norrie smiled. "Yeah, he does. Come on, let's get you two finally married."

"I'll be right there."

As Norrie left the room, Julia turned back to the mirror. She looked at herself one more time. She couldn't help but think about the fact that she had been there before. Years earlier she stood in front of a mirror, not unlike the one she was in front of now, staring at herself in a white dress. Back then she thought she had her whole life ahead of her with Peter. She thought they would both be able to have their careers and be in love and nothing would change. She had been wrong. Neither of them was willing to put the other first and they fell apart. If it hadn't been for the mistake she had made in her journalism career, Julia would have left him long before they moved to Chester's Mill. But she had stayed with Peter despite the fact that she was no longer in love with him. Then, the dome fell, Peter was gone, and she met Barbie. If she were being honest with herself, she knew from the very beginning that she was attracted to Barbie. He was new and exciting and sexy as hell. The first time they crossed that line and made love, Julia knew she should feel guilty that she had slept with another man while she was still married, but she didn't feel guilty at all. That was when she knew – Peter wasn't the love of her life. Barbie was. She didn't care if they spent the rest of their lives inside the dome, as long as they were together.

The dome did fall eventually, though. No one ever really figured out how or why. It was gone as unexpectedly as it arrived. Barbie and Julia spent a year after that trying to put their lives back together. Julia got a publishing deal to write a book about the dome while Barbie worked for the VA, counseling returning soldiers injured in the line of duty. They started with very little, having walked away from the dome with nothing but themselves and a promise that they would somehow make it work together.

When Barbie proposed, Julia was shocked. She didn't think she would ever get married again. She wasn't even sure if she wanted to get married again with what happened between her and Peter. But as Barbie knelt before her, holding out the ring, she said yes and she meant it. She knew if they could make it through the dome and the aftermath, they would make it. There was no doubt in her mind that she wanted to be with him for the rest of their lives.

It took another year for Julia to be able to legally marry Barbie. Although they both knew the truth about what happened to her husband, nobody else knew that he was dead. Julia had to pretend to search for him and then wait for the appropriate amount of time to pass for her to be legally divorced. Another six months of planning after that and Julia was finally standing in her wedding dress in front of the mirror. She couldn't believe how much time had passed. Joe and Norrie were both in college on opposite ends of the country. Somehow, though, they were maintaining a long distance relationship. Julia had faith that it wouldn't be long before she'd be watching them walking down the aisle. The thought made her smile.

She knew all of their friends and family, including many people from the dome, were outside in a beautiful garden, waiting for her to walk down the aisle. She knew Joe would be standing there next to Barbie as his best man. A tear came to her just thinking about Barbie waiting for her. Julia blinked it away, not wanting to mess up her makeup.

She took a deep breath and walked out of the room. Norrie was standing in the hallway, ready to walk down the aisle ahead of Julia. Norrie was holding two bouquets of wild flowers. She handed one to Julia.

"You ready?" Norrie asked. Julia nodded. "Ok, let's go get you married."

Julia and Norrie made their way down a flight of stairs and into a living room. The bed and breakfast Barbie and Julia had found by accident after they were on a trip and got a flat tire in a bad storm turned out to be perfect for their small, intimate wedding. They rented out the entire bed and breakfast, having enough rooms for their guests. The garden was small, but perfect for their ceremony. The outside patio was just the right size for a few tables, folding chairs, a buffet table, and there was even enough space for a band and dance floor. The weather was even cooperating. It was a beautiful spring day, the sun warm and the flowers in full bloom.

As Norrie opened the front door, Julia stood to the side so no one would be able to look through the door and see her. Norrie took a step out of the door and a violin began to play. She walked down the aisle slowly in time with the music. When she made it to the end, she caught Joe's eye. They both smiled. Immediately the music changed and Barbie trained his eyes towards the door to the bed and breakfast. Julia suddenly appeared. She locked eyes with Barbie as she walked down the aisle. Nobody else mattered.

When she finally reached him, Julia saw that Barbie had tears in his eyes. Her own eyes were welling up. Norrie was right, Barbie did look good in a tuxedo.

"You're so beautiful," Barbie whispered as he took Julia's hand.

A tear rolled down her cheek as the justice of the peace began reading a passage about love. Neither Julia nor Barbie really heard him. It wasn't until they finally had to say 'I do' that they both began to pay attention.

"Dale and Julia have chosen to write their own vows," the justice of the peace said. "Julia?"

With Barbie still holding her hands, Julia looked into his eyes.

"Barbie, when we first met, the world as we knew had changed. We didn't know what would happen from one day to the next. The only thing that I knew for sure through all of it was that we would always be there for each other. I fell in love with you then, despite all odds. And I've fallen more in love with you every day since then. I promise to love you every day, even when we're arguing." Barbie couldn't help but chuckle. "I can't wait to start my life with you as my husband. I love you, Barbie, and I will love you forever."

"Dale…" the justice of the peace prompted.

"Julia, I never imagined I would be here. I never thought I could find someone who I wanted to spend the rest of my life with. But I did. I found you. Actually, I think maybe you found me. Either way, I am thankful every day that I met you, even if it was the most unbelievable way you can meet someone. I don't know why we couldn't have just run into each other at a bar." She smiled, wiping a tear from her cheek. "I know that we can get through anything together because we've already been through everything. I love you, Julia. Thank you for choosing me."

"I think the dome chose us," she whispered so only he could hear.

"And I'm very glad it did," he added.

The justice of the peace continued. "Do you, Julia, take Dale to be your lawful wedded husband?"

"I do," she replied.

"And do you, Dale, take Julia to be your lawful wedded wife?"

"I do," he answered.

"Then, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride."

They both leaned forward, their lips meeting in the middle. He snaked an arm around her waist as they kissed. The guests burst into applause. When they finally separated, Barbie and Julia turned so they were facing the crowd. They both couldn't stop smiling. Barbie squeezed Julia's hand and they began walking down the aisle. Everyone clapped and congratulated them on their way down the aisle. Joe and Norrie followed a few steps behind them.

When they were back inside the bed and breakfast and away from the peering eyes of their guests, Barbie put his hands on Julia's hips. He applied pressure, pushing her back against the wall. His mouth was on hers before she could open her mouth to say something. Whatever she was going to say was gone from her head as Barbie kissed her hard.

"You're going to ruin my makeup," she said as they parted. He leaned his forehead against hers. Their lips were still tingling from the mind-blowing kiss.

"I don't care. I had to give you a real kiss, Mrs. Barbara. "You are just so damn beautiful."

He kissed her again, this time taking it more slowly. He wanted to remember the way she tasted and felt.

"We're married," she stated simply.

"Hell yes we are."

"I love you."

"I love you, too. Think they'd notice if we…ah…disappeared for a little while?" He asked, motioning towards the stairs. She knew their bridal suite was just at the end of the hall at the top of the stairs.

"I think we have to go through the receiving line," Julia reminded him.

"You're no fun."

"We have the rest of our lives to be fun. And I promise tonight I'll make it worth the wait."

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah," she answered.

She pressed her lips against his, running her hands through his hair.

"You'll mess up my hair," he said sarcastically.

"Shut up."

Her lips tangled with hers once again, their tongues dueling.

"Can you guys give it a rest for five minutes?" Joe asked as he and Norrie walked in the door into the hallway.

Julie and Barbie separated liked two caught teenagers.

"They're waiting for you guys," Norrie said.

"We'll be right there," Barbie replied.

Joe and Norrie left the building. Barbie kissed Julia one last time before taking her hand.

Hours later, Barbie held Julia in his arms. They were swaying back and forth on the dance floor while the last song played. Other couples, including Joe and Norrie, danced around them, but they barely noticed. As the song finished, Barbie kissed Julia gently on the lips. He was desperate to give her a real kiss, but he knew they had an audience. He took her hand. Barbie walked to the platform where the band was playing. They had just finished their last song. Barbie stepped up to the microphone with Julia right beside him.

"We want to thank everyone for coming out and celebrating this day with us," Barbie said. "Julia and I couldn't ask for better friends or family."

"Thank you, everyone, from the bottom of our hearts," Julia added.

"And with that, we hope everyone has a good night. We'll see you in the morning for brunch."

After hugging a few guests and thanking Joe and Norrie personally for standing up for them, Barbie and Julia walked off hand in hand into the bed and breakfast. Julia picked up the bottom of her dress so she wouldn't trip as they climbed the stairs. She had kicked off her high-heeled shoes almost immediately after the photographs were taken. Without them, her dress was a little long. When they reached the bridal suite, Julia went to reach for the door handle. Before she could get it open, Barbie scooped her up, sweeping her off her feet. She squealed as he lifted her into his arms.

"What are you doing?" She asked.

"Carrying you over the threshold. We're newlyweds, after all."

She pulled on the handle and Barbie pushed through the door. He kicked it closed behind him after they entered the room. They were rose petals spread out on the bed and a bottle of champagne chilling in an ice bucket. Barbie made his way over to the bed and gently set Julia down. She reached behind her, trying to blindly find the zipper of her dress.

"Uh-uh," Barbie said. "Let me. I've been dreaming of taking you out of that dress since the moment you walked down that aisle."

"You have a dirty mind, Mr. Barbara."

"When it comes to you, yes I do Mrs. Barbara."

She hopped off the bed and stood up with her back towards Barbie. He stood close to her, placing his hands on her shoulders. He attached his lips to her neck, peppering her skin with light kisses. With a sigh, she arched her neck, giving him access to more skin. As his lips continued their assault across her shoulders, he found the zipper. He tugged it down slowly. She was wearing a white, lace bodice underneath. When the zipper was all the way down, the dress fell, pooling at her feet. She turned around slowly. When he looked at her, he saw tears in her eyes.

"What's wrong?" He asked, pushing a piece of hair behind her ear.

"Nothing's wrong. I just…I never thought I'd be this happy."

"I love you," he said.

"I love you, too. Now make love to me, Mr. Barbara."

"Whatever you say, Mrs. Barbara."

He lifted her at the hips, placed her on the bed, and kissed her.

Author's Note: I couldn't let the alphabet go by without a wedding chapter. And I wanted to get this chapter posted before Winter Storm Juno hits and I lose power! Thank you for reading!


	24. Chapter 24

**Chapter 24 – X-Ray**

**(Inside the dome)**

Julia glanced over at Barbie in the passenger seat. He was staring out the windshield of her Prius, watching the usual scenery go by. He was cradling his left hand in his lap. His wrist had already turned a light shade of purple.

"Almost there," she whispered under her breath.

"It's not broken," he stated as if he was trying to convince himself.

"Tell that to your swollen wrist. I told you to be careful."

He huffed, refusing to look at her. Julia pulled the car up beside the clinic door. She got out of the car. By the time she made it around to the other side, Barbie was already opening his car door and scrambling out, trying to keep his hand as still as possible.

"Damn it," he mumbled as his hand knocked against the car door.

"I would have gotten the door," Julia said.

"I'm fine," he spat out.

Julia rolled her eyes. He was acting like a child. It was very typical male.

Together they walked into the clinic. There was only one person waiting in the waiting room. Julia recognized her as a woman who used to work at the bank. She racked her brain for the woman's name.

"Hello Barbara," Julia said. "Everything ok?"

"My husband managed to slice his finger open with a butcher knife," the woman explained, clearly annoyed with her husband. "I told him not to use it to cut the branches off the trees."

"I hope he's ok," Julia said.

She walked with Barbie through the clinic, wondering what would possess someone to try to cut a branch off a tree with a butcher knife. As they entered the emergency room door, a nurse walked by them.

"Julia, everything ok?" The nurse asked.

Julia recognized her as a nurse she had been introduced to once by her husband, but she couldn't remember her name.

"We think he might have broken his wrist," Julia explained.

"Ouch," the nurse replied.

"It's not broken," Barbie insisted.

"Well, the x-ray machine is still up and running so we can take a look," the nurse said.

"Thank you," Barbie said.

"You're welcome, Mr…"

"Barbara," Barbie filled in. "But just call me Barbie. Everyone does."

"Ok. I'm Nicole," the nurse said with a slight giggle. Julia rolled her eyes. Nicole couldn't have been more than a few years out of nursing school. If she remembered correctly, she flirted with all patients and doctors alike. "Right this way, Barbie."

Julia couldn't help but notice the lingering look the nurse gave Barbie as she led him into the x-ray room. Julia followed them, not wanting to leave the young nurse alone with him for too long. Barbie sat down next to the machine, placing his hand carefully on an arm rest. The nurse dragged over a stool on wheels and sat in front of him. Julia stood in the doorway, keeping a careful eye on what was going on between Barbie and Nicole.

"So…what happened?" Nicole asked.

"I was trying to rig up a system to catch the rain outside," Barbie explained.

"Sounds complicated," Nicole replied, purposefully flipping her long, blond hair over her shoulder.

Julia rolled her eyes yet again. Nicole looked over Barbie's wrist. He hissed as she turned it slightly.

"I was up on the ladder, trying to work on connecting to the gutters. Ladder must have been uneven because the next thing I knew, I was on the ground and had fallen on my wrist."

"The ladder wasn't uneven," Julia added. "You're just klutzy."

"I'm sure that's not true," Nicole commented. She practically glared at Julia. "We're going to do the x-ray now so you should leave the room."

"I'll be in the waiting room," Julia said. She turned and headed back to the waiting room. Barbara was gone. Her husband must have gotten patched up and released. Julia grabbed an old magazine and sat down. She began to mindlessly flip through the gossip pages, not really paying attention to what she was reading. With what was going on under the dome, celebrity gossip seemed like the least important thing to worry about.

Julia sighed when she heard Nicole's annoying giggle float down the hallway. She felt a twinge of jealousy creep up on her and she hated it. She tried to shove the feeling down. She did not want to start playing the role of the jealous girlfriend especially since she knew Nicole was the biggest flirt in the hospital. Just because the leggy blond was drooling all over Barbie, tossing her hair, and giggling didn't mean he was falling for it. Julia tried to put the thought out of her mind.

Forty-five minutes and two trashy magazines later, Julia finally heard footsteps coming down the hallway. She stood up as Barbie and Nicole approached. She noticed his wrist was in a cast.

"So…broken?" Julia asked.

"Small fracture. Nothing a few weeks in a cast can't heal. And he was an excellent patient," Nicole said with a smile.

"I'm sure," Julia mumbled.

"If you need anything else, Barbie, please don't hesitate to come back," she continued, touching Barbie's arm. "And I do mean anything."

"I'm sure he'll be fine," Julia said.

"Thank you, Nicole," Barbie said.

"You're very welcome."

With a huff, Julia turned on her heels, walked through the waiting room, and pushed through the doors into the parking lot. She climbed into her car and waited. Barbie joined her a few moments later.

"Finished saying your goodbyes?" Julia asked sarcastically.

"She just wanted to give me outpatient instructions," Barbie answered, struggling to put his seatbelt on with only one hand.

"Is that all?" She retorted.

"Wait a minute, are you…jealous?"

"No," she answered quickly.

"Because you have no reason to be jealous. I mean, sure, Nicole is pretty and had really nice legs…"

"You're not helping yourself."

"You didn't let me finished. I was going to say, even though she is pretty and has nice legs, I'm only attracted to beautiful red-heads. So, you see, you have no reason to be jealous."

"I told you, I'm not jealous. Nicole is the biggest flirt in this hospital. She flirted with Peter and every other doctor, male nurse, and patient who walked through those doors. Trust me, I'm not jealous."

"Uh-huh," he said, not believing her.

Julia started the car and began driving the short journey back to her house.

"I'm not jealous. I'm just waiting for you to tell me I was right."

"About what?"

"That your wrist was broken. You kept saying it wasn't and I told you it was. I'm waiting to hear 'you were right, Julia.'"

"It's not broken. It's fractured."

"You just don't want to admit your breakable," she stated. "Dale Barbara isn't invincible."

"I never said I was."

"No, but you like to walk around here acting like you are."

"That's not true," he said.

"Sure it is."

"Says the woman who ran towards the burning building," Barbie reminded her.

"At least I don't put my life on the line on a regular basis to save everybody else."

"Are you saying that's a bad thing?" He asked.

"I'm saying you need to learn how to be careful," she answered as if it were a simple thing.

"I am careful. And it wasn't exactly like I was putting my life on the line by climbing that ladder. I was actually trying to make our lives better by catching the rain water."

"I know what you were trying to do. But I told you to wait until I was there to help you so that you weren't up that ladder by yourself. And did you? No. You insisted on going up by yourself. You're incapable of not doing something dangerous."

"That's not fair."

"Tell that to your broken wrist."

"Fractured," he corrected.

Julia rolled her eyes for what felt like the hundredth time in the last hour. She pulled into their driveway, turned the car off, and got out of the car, slamming the door behind her. She walked around the back of the house where the ladder Barbie had fallen off of was tipped over on the ground. She picked the ladder up and steadied it.

"What are you doing?" Barbie asked as he came around the house. "Finishing what you started," she answered as she picked up a plastic bucket he had dropped when he had fallen. Julia looped it on her right arm and began climbing the ladder.

"Julia, stop," he said. He immediately put his good hand on the ladder, steadying it.

"I'm perfectly capable of rigging this up," she insisted, climbing higher. "And I know I have you down there to keep the ladder steady so I know I will be safe. See, I wouldn't have climbed up here by myself because I don't have a death wish."

"I don't have a death wish," Barbie stated.

"Could have fooled me."

As she reached the height she needed to be even with the gutter, she began attaching the bucket with some zip ties Barbie had already put up on the roof. The theory was to get the water to travel from the gutter into the bucket so they would be able to keep the rain water.

"I don't put myself in danger on purpose, Julia," he insisted.

"No, you just have a hero complex."

"Did I mention that you were the one running towards the building that was on fire?" He exclaimed.

"That was different."

"How?" Julia dropped one of the zip ties. "Would you please come down here so we can finish this argument on the ground?"

"Are we arguing?" She asked.

"Sounds like an argument to me."

Julia looked down at him from. She sighed. "I don't want to argue."

"Me either."

"I just want you to be careful," she said. "There's so much going on under this dome that we don't know about. If we're not careful, none of us will make it out of here. And I can't do this without you."

"Trust me, I have every intention of getting out of here with you. Now would you please come down?"

Julia finished tying off the bucket and climbed down the ladder slowly. When she reached the bottom, Barbie put his good arm around her waist.

"I'm sorry," she said. "I really don't want to argue. I just worry about you."

"I promise I'll be as careful I can be considering the circumstances."

"That's not much of a promise," she said with a smile.

"How about this, then? I promise I won't climb a ladder without having you there to steady it."

"I guess that's a start. After all, we wouldn't want any more fractured wrists."

"Broken," he corrected with a smile.

She rolled her eyes and leaned in to kiss him. As they got lost in the kiss, she buried her right hand in his hair. He took a step towards her, backing her up against the house. Her shoulder bumped into the ladder. It began to teeter and then fell. The ladder crashed down and Julia cried out in pain. It fell on her right foot. Julia immediately began hopping on her left leg.

"Are you ok?" Barbie asked.

"Oooh, that hurts," Julia cried out.

"Is it your foot?"

"Toe."

"Alright, sit down."

Barbie helped lower her to the grass. He unzipped her boot and began to slide it off her foot. She hissed from the pain. Barbie took her sock off her next and examined her toes. They could both see her middle toe was turning purple.

"What do you think?" She asked.

"Can you bend them?"

Julia attempted to bend her toes. They all bent except the middle one.

"Ow! Crap, that hurts!"

"Yup, I think it's broken," he told her.

"That ladder is cursed."

"I don't think it was the ladder, babe. I think you're just klutzy."  
"I am not klutzy!" She insisted.

"You knocked the ladder over."

"You bumped me into the ladder!"

"I did not! And besides, if you really wanted to be careful, you shouldn't be climbing a ladder without steel toed boots on!"

"Let me just go grab a pair of those from my closet next to the stilettos."

"Now that I would love to see," he said with a smile.

"Help me up!"

Barbie put his good arm around Julia and helped her to her feet. She remained balanced on her left foot, favoring the broken toe.

"Can you walk?" She put weight on the foot. She was definitely able to walk, but it wasn't pleasant. "You know, we should take you to the clinic to get it x-rayed just in case. There's a really good nurse there, you know."

Julia shot him a death glare. "You're sleeping on the couch tonight, you know."

"I love you, babe," he teased.

"That's not going to save you."

"I know. I just wanted to make sure you knew. Now come on, let's go get you some ice."

Barbie took her hand and kissed it before helping her into the house.

Author's Note: Having three snow days really gave me plenty of time to write (and thankfully the power stayed on) so I got a lot done! I hope you enjoyed this chapter! The next one should be up soon!


	25. Chapter 25

**Chapter 25 - Yogurt**

Julia stood on her neighbor's doorstep, a few containers of yogurt in her hand. She knocked on the door and waited. A few moments later, the door opened. Harriet stood in the doorway, the baby in her arms.

"Julia, hello," Harriet said quietly, rocking the baby back in forth in her arms. "She just fell asleep."

"I'll be quiet," Julia whispered, smiling at the tiny bundle in Harriet's arms. She looked perfect.

"Come on in."

Harriet led the way into the house. She carefully and slowly placed the baby in a bassinet and sat down at the dining room table. She rocked the bassinet with one hand.

"She's beautiful," Julia complimented, joining Harriet at the table.

"Thank you."

"How are you doing?"

"Ok I guess. It's tough without my husband here. I never thought I'd be doing this alone."

Julia reached across the table and put her hand on Harriet's arm.

"You're doing a great job," Julia stated.

"Thanks. I just wish she would sleep more than an hour at a time."

"If you ever need a break, you know you can always come get me next door," Julia offered.

"I might just take you up on that."

"Anytime. I mean it." Julia put the yogurt she was holding on the table. "I know you're not pregnant anymore, but I brought over those yogurts you always liked."

"Thank you. I've been worrying about whether or not I'm getting enough nutrition for the baby. It's tough without having a pediatrician to turn to."

"I can imagine. But she looks healthy and beautiful."

"I couldn't have done it without you and Barbie."

Julia smiled. "We all have to help each other around here."

"Speaking of Barbie, what's going on with you two?" Harriet asked.

"What do you mean?" Julia responded, trying to sound more innocent than she felt.

"I mean, a tall, handsome stranger comes to town and you two obviously have a connection. He's been staying at your house for the better part of a week, Julia. What's going on?"

"He needed a place to stay."

"Uh-huh. It looked like there was a lot more going on the other morning than him just needing a place to stay."

Julia couldn't help but blush. She and Barbie had managed to keep their relationship a secret. She was sure people were speculating about what he and she were doing in that house all by themselves, but she was content with leaving it at speculation. She didn't need everyone to know that they had become more than just roommates. With the way the town loved her husband, she didn't think they'd look too kindly on her being with another man.

"We're just...helping each other through all of this."

"Is that what they call it these days? It's been so long since I've had sex, I can't remember." Both women laughed. "I'm not judging you, Julia. I'm really not. Barbie seems like a really good guy. And you two are good together."

"Yeah, I guess we are."

"But…" Harriet prompted, sensing Julia's hesitation.

"But...Peter," Julia admitted.

"Ah." Harriet paused, choosing her words carefully. "I don't know if this will make you feel any better, Julia, but I never noticed you this happy with Peter."

"Yeah, we haven't exactly had the happiest of marriages in the last year or two."

"There's no shame in wanting someone to be with during this crazy time. Especially someone as good looking as Barbie."

Julia smiled. "He is good looking, isn't he? But, it's more than that. I mean, don't get me wrong, I appreciate his looks and being with him is very...satisfying." Harriet laughed. "But it's more than that. He makes me want to be better. He challenges me. It was never like that with Peter. He's smart and selfless and willing to put himself in harm's way to save others. He's...amazing."

"You're really falling for him, aren't you?"

Julia shrugged. "I don't know."

"Sure you do."

"I just know what the people in this town will think of me if they found out about us."

"Don't worry about them. Don't think about what other people think or how they might react. You know your heart, Julia. And the heart wants what the heart wants."

"I guess it does."

The baby let out a tiny cry.

"Here we go again. She's probably hungry."

Harriet leaned over and scooped her out of the bassinet.

"I should be going anyway. Thanks for the talk. It's nice to have a woman to talk to."

"It is, isn't it?"

"And I mean it, if you ever need help, I'm right next door."

"Thank you. And thanks for the yogurt," Harriet said.

"You're welcome."

"Tell Barbie I said hi," Harriet said with a smile.

"I will. Take care, Harriet."

"Bye Julia."

Julia walked out of the house, unable to stop thinking about what Harriet said. Was she falling for Barbie? It seemed so wrong, but it felt so right. As she approached her own house, she took a deep breath. She didn't know if Barbie was the real deal or if he would end up being just a fling, but she knew one thing for sure. She was damn well going to find out.

Author's Note: This was one of those chapters that has been floating around in my head since the beginning. I figured I did a chapter about Barbie talking to Joe about his feelings for Julia so I wanted to do a chapter about Julia talking to someone. Can't believe there's only one chapter left!


	26. Chapter 26

**Chapter 26 – Zenith**

**(Outside the dome)**

It was a smell that awoke Julia early in the morning. It was a bad, burning smell. Julia immediately opened her eyes. She looked beside her, but found the bed was empty. She heard the sound of Barbie cursing from down the hall. That explained the burning smell. She smiled. She pulled the blankets off of her, swung her legs over the side of the bed, and waited a moment. It wasn't that long ago that she had been able to pop right out of bed without a problem. Now in her fifties, though, Julia needed a few more minutes to get up and get moving. Planting her feet firmly on the ground, Julia stood up. She grabbed her robe from the back of a nearby arm chair and pulled it on. She went to her vanity and took a quick look in the mirror. She ran a quick brush through her graying hair before standing up and walking out of the bedroom.

She could hear Barbie before she could see him. His voice was clearly coming from the kitchen, as was the smell. He was cursing. Julia walked into the kitchen. She hung back in the doorway. Barbie was standing at the stove, his back to her. There was a pan in the sink with the water running over it. Julia could see the steam coming from the cold water hitting the hot pan. She guessed whatever was in the pan was most likely burned. Barbie seemed to be starting over at the stove. He cracked an egg onto the already warm frying pan.

"You didn't spray it," Julia said.

Barbie whirled around, not knowing she was behind him.

"You're supposed to be sleeping," he said.

"And you're supposed to be in bed with me."

She walked up behind him, slipping her arms around his torso. She pressed her cheek against his back, closing her eyes and breathing in his scent.

"I wanted to surprise you," he said.

"The only thing that would surprise me is if you managed to cook something without burning in," she said with a smile.

He turned around so he was facing her and wrapped his arms around her small waist.

"Maybe I'll learn in another twenty years." He leaned in and kissed her. "Happy anniversary."

"Happy anniversary," she replied. He tucked a strand of grey hair behind her ear. "I need to visit the salon."

"You look beautiful just the way you are. I can't believe we've been married for twenty years. It feels like only yesterday you were my blushing bride."

"Time flies when you're having fun."

"It sure as hell does. I love you more and more every day. You know that, right?"

She nodded as Barbie leaned in for another kiss. He had kissed her thousands of times, but every time it was like it was the first time. Every time he felt the familiar butterflies in his stomach and the tingle go down his spine. Barbie undid the belt of Julia's robe. He slid his hand under her T-shirt.

"The boys will be here in a few hours," Julia panted. He kissed a trail from her ear down her neck, simultaneously pushing her robe off her shoulders. "I still have to start cooking lunch and clean the spare bedroom in case one of the kids needs to go down for a nap and…"

He pulled her shirt over her head, leaving her completely topless. Barbie dropped small kisses on her shoulder.

"That can wait," he said. "It's our anniversary."

"We can't. We have things…we have to do…" she could barely think as he continued assaulting her body with his lips and hands. She couldn't believe how, after over twenty years of marriage, she still couldn't get enough of him.

"Say yes," he commanded, quieting her thoughts with a mind-blowing kiss.

"Yes," she moaned.

Barbie hoisted her up and she wrapped her legs around his waist. He carried her back to their bedroom where they spent the morning of their anniversary making love.

At exactly two o'clock, Barbie walked into the dining room carrying a large platter of ham. Julia was right behind with a bowl of carrots in one hand and a casserole dish of green bean casserole in the other. They put the dishes in the middle of the table along with the other food that had already been brought out. Barbie and Julia's two sons, Ryan and Matthew were already seated at the table along with their two wives and three children.

"The food looks great, mom," Ryan complimented.

"You know, you didn't have to all of this cooking, Julia," Matthew's wife said. "It's your anniversary. We could have taken you out or…"

"I'm happy to do it," Julia replied. Barbie stood next to her, putting his arm around her shoulder. "And besides, we couldn't ask for a better way to celebrate our anniversary than with the people we love the most."

Barbie looked over at her and raised an eyebrow as if he were reminding her of the way they celebrated earlier that morning. Julia gave him a quick kiss.

"Ewww!" One of the grandchildren squealed. "Grandma and grandpa are kissing!"

Everybody laughed and Barbie made a point of kissing Julia again.

"Let's eat," Julia said.

Barbie sat down at the head of the table with Julia sitting beside him. They began to make their plates, passing the food around the table. Barbie and Julia kept stealing glances at each other when nobody was looking.

"So…Ryan and I were talking," Matthew began.

"This can't be good," Barbie joked.

"This house is just so big," Matthew continued. "It was great for us growing up and I know it was the house you grew up in, dad, but do you guys really need all the space? I mean, mom can write her books anywhere and with you mostly working from home, dad, don't you think it's time you downsized?"

"Are you trying to kick us out of our own house?" Barbie asked in a joking tone.

"No," Ryan quickly answered. "We just worry about you two here all alone."

"We're not elderly," Julia said.

"We know. It's just a big house," Ryan added.

"And we were thinking that since we both live so far away that it might be a good idea for you guys to leave Zenith and move closer to us," Matthew explained. "You know, then you can see the kids more and…"

"And you can keep an eye on us?" Barbie asked.

"We're just trying to look out for you, dad," Ryan said.

"We appreciate your concern, boys, we really do," Barbie said, putting his hand over Julia's. "But this is our home. This is the house your mother and I escaped to after the dome. I don't think you boys will ever be able to understand that after the dome…Zenith was our salvation."

"This place is where we all became a family," Julia added.

"Just think about it," Matthew said.

"We will," Julia assured him. She turned her attention to her grandchildren. "Now, which one of you is going to tell me what you did at the zoo last weekend?"

Later that night, after Ryan and Matthew and their families had said their goodbyes and the kitchen was cleaned up, Julia stood in the middle of the living room, staring at a photograph of her and Barbie from their wedding day. It was a black and white photo where they were both looking deep into each other's eyes. Julia knew that look very well. He still looked at her that way.

"You're still as beautiful now as you were then," Barbie said, walking up to stand beside her. He handed her a glass of red wine.

"You're a good liar."

"I don't need to lie when it's true," he replied.

"Who could have known that being trapped in that dome would change our lives forever?"

"I knew my life was changed forever the moment I saw you."

"Now that's a lie," she stated. "You didn't what to think of me."

"Maybe not, but I knew you were beautiful and smart and feisty."

"Feisty, huh?"

"You are the one who ran into that burning building," he reminded her.

"If I recall, you did some pretty dangerous things, too."

"The important thing is we made it out together."

"So…what did you think about Ryan and Matthew's little speech today?"

"The one where they basically called us too old to take care of ourselves?"

"They're just worried," Julia countered.

"Yeah. I don't think they're so much as worried as they just want us closer so we can babysit."

"I wouldn't mind that, you know…seeing the kids more," Julia admitted.

"I know, me too. I miss them when we're not together."

"Me, too. I wish we could go to every T-ball and school play."

"Would you…want to leave Zenith and move closer to them?" Barbie asked.

"This is where you grew up. Your dad gave us this house when we got married and…"

"That doesn't mean we have to stay. If you're not happy here, Julia…"

She grabbed his hand. "I'm happy as long as I'm with you. This place is our home, Barbie. It's where we built our life together. It's where we raised our boys. We have so much history here in Zenith. I don't think I could ever leave."

"Me either."

"Do you ever wonder what would have happened if we hadn't made it out of the dome?"

He shrugged. "It's crossed my mind from time to time."

"We probably wouldn't even still be alive," she said.

"I don't believe that. We would have figured out a way to survive."

"I don't regret it."

"Regret what?" He wondered.

"All of it. If I hadn't married Peter, I never would have gone to Chester's Mill. And even though we lost some good people along the way, if that dome hadn't fallen, we would never have met. All the disagreements and the problems and the fear…I wouldn't have changed anything because it's what made us…us."

"I have no regrets, either." He paused. "I have something for you."

"I thought we agreed on no gifts."

"I know, but I couldn't resist."

Barbie reached into his Jeans pocket. He pulled out a small, velvet box.

"The last time you had a box that size, we were standing on a mountain and you proposed."

"Well, I don't think this will top that, but I think you'll like it anyway."

He opened the box, revealing a pair of diamond earrings.

"Oh Barbie," Julia gasped. "They're beautiful." She quickly unfastened the earrings she was wearing and replaced them with the diamond earrings she had just received. "How do I look?"

"Stunning," he answered. "You're always stunning."

"I have something for you, too."

"I thought we said we weren't doing gifts," he teased.

"I knew you wouldn't live by that so I knew I couldn't either."

"The only gift I need is you."

"Just wait right here," she commanded.

Julia disappeared into the bedroom. Barbie was tempted to follow her, but he refrained. While he waited, he flopped down on the couch, sipping his wine. She reappeared a few minutes later, dressed in her bathrobe. Barbie knew immediately he was going to like his gift. When she took an envelope out from behind her back, he was a little confused. He assumed his gift was whatever she had on underneath the robe, but he was clearly wrong.

"What is it?" He asked.

"Just open it."

Barbie slid his finger under the flap of the envelope and opened it. He pulled out a brochure for Hawaii and two plane tickets.

"We're going to Hawaii?"

"For our second honeymoon. You planned the first, I thought I would plan the second. I know Zenith is our home, but that doesn't mean we can't travel once in a while, right?"

Barbie looked at the brochure in his hand. The sandy beaches and warm sun did look incredibly inviting. Plus it had been a long time since he had seen Julia in a bathing suit. At her age, she might not have felt confident strutting around in a skimpy two piece, but Barbie still thought she was the sexiest woman on the planet. He remembered the skimpy, black bikini she had been wearing when she strutted into the kitchen while they were under the dome. He still cherished that memory.

"Wait, this isn't a cruise, is it?" He asked.

She laughed. "No. We all know what happened last time we tried a cruise." He stood up and hugged her. "That's not all."

"There's more?"

She took a few steps back and tugged on the belt of the robe. She let the robe pool at her feet. She was left standing in the sexiest, black lingerie Barbie had ever seen. She could see the excitement in his eyes and it made her smile.

"Well…" she prompted.

"I am the luckiest man in the world. I love you, Julia."

"I love you, too."

Author's Note: Well, that's it. 26 letters and 26 stories. I know some of you might be disappointed that I chose to end with a story about them an older couple, but I wanted to do a story about their love standing the test of time and it just felt right to end the whole thing this way. I also liked the idea of integrating a couple of the other stories into this one (like the fact that they have 2 sons and 'Julia getting sick on the cruise' story, etc). Thank you so much for those of you who have read all 26 stories and stuck with me through this and to everyone who took the time to review. Hopefully I'll be back soon with some more Jarbie stories!


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